He’s about to release his 6th studio album in December, he’s just appeared in a Christmas movie, he’s getting ready to tour with Mary J Blige and Ne-Yo next year… and he’s about to kick off Formula 1 Grand Prix race weekend in Las Vegas with an intimate concert Above The Race at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant!
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MusicTranscript
00:00There he is. Hey, welcome. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. You got your water, your throat
00:06perfume, everything you good? Yeah, throat perfume. That's a new one. Yes, I got my throat
00:10perfume, my water, everything's good. I just got off a flight and rushed home to make sure I made
00:15this on time, but everything's great. I'm excited to talk to you. You were saying you didn't know
00:20about the album and stuff? Oh, no, I know about the album, but I didn't know about if we could
00:26talk about the singer. The who? The Masked Singer. Oh, yeah. People been tagging me about
00:33that. TMZ walked up on me right out the airport today and they were like, hey, how's it feel
00:38being the... I'm like, who is this wasp guy? He's famous, isn't he? This guy's really blowing up in
00:44the world. I don't know. I guess he's your doppelganger or whatever. Yeah. Mario first
00:51entered the music scene in the early 2000s, swooning the world with his soulful voice and
00:56those silky smooth dance moves. Just a friend, 2002. Let me love you. How do I breathe? Crying
01:03out for me. Break up. So many more. We love playing his music every single day on 94.7.
01:10Sing it with me, Mario. The way. I love that. I mean, it's just such a classic jingle. Like you
01:20know some good music is going to come on after you hear that. And I should have had you do it
01:23on your own. Let me back up and have you just do it. You're going to float into the clouds,
01:28into the sun. You got to float while I do it. 94.7. The way. That was nice. I think you guys
01:39should just take that and replace the original. I'm done. I'm ready. We're going on the road.
01:44Please welcome R&B superstar Mario, everyone. Thank you. First of all, Mario,
01:50we have two things in common. Okay. We are both five feet, 11 inches tall. Okay. And we are both
01:59born on August 27th. No way. I'm 60, but no way. Yeah. You're a Virgo, Virgo nation. Let's go. I
02:07love Virgos. I love being a Virgo. Which means we know a lot about each other. This is true.
02:12Without even knowing each other. I know what your sock drawer probably looks like.
02:18Very neat. Yeah. Unfortunately it takes a lot of my time for sure. Keeping that thing neat.
02:24Cause it's just like, you know, I don't mind wearing mismatched socks once in a blue,
02:28but it's just like, it just, your day's much better when it's together. When it's this,
02:32when it's the right pair. You got to make that bed. Well, happy belated birthday to you.
02:37Well, thank you. And the same to you. We have another thing in common too.
02:41Okay. Kind of like to party in Vegas.
02:43Ooh. Yeah. Let's go. Get your flight now, baby. We're on our way.
02:51You and formula one have some big, big plans for Thursday, November 21st. You're going to be
02:56opening the festivities at the above the race experience hosted by Yamaha resort and palms
03:02resort. Absolutely. I don't know if they have jingles, but you know, if they do, I'm sure they
03:07should after the performance, they should have a jingle for sure. But no, it's going to be an
03:11incredible time, you know, and it's, it's very exclusive. It's invite only, but you know, I feel
03:16like an event like this brings so many interesting people together. The first time I went to a
03:21formula one was in Australia and I was out there touring and I went and I got a chance to ride in
03:25the car, which was an exhilarating experience. I mean, what those guys have to go through. You
03:32think it's just, Oh, they're just fast cars. Like, no, the way they have to train for it,
03:35the team they have around them, everything's amazing. So I'm looking forward to that in
03:40itself, but performing at something like this, it's very different for me. You know, it's more
03:44of a social event mixed with, you know, great conversations with new people. And my set is
03:52actually going to be a acoustic set mixed with a DJ set. So you're going to get a chance to like,
03:58really just hear my, my vocals and the music and the words in a way that you normally wouldn't be
04:04able to hear it like on tour where in a big venue is like more intimate. And I love doing these
04:09types of things because it reminds me of when I first started singing in my mother's living room,
04:14my grandmother's living room, right. Just the piano, my mom playing piano or me on, you know,
04:19the karaoke machine. I mean, I love, I love the studio. Oh, bless you, bless you. I love the big
04:27concert experience, but there's so much about those little ones, those intimate venues and
04:32like handcrafted cocktails and oh, you know what else is going to be there that night.
04:38This is all happening in the Eiffel Tower restaurant.
04:40Yes, absolutely. So we're above the race concept in itself is just beautiful because we'll get to
04:46look over the whole city, you know, it'd be a beautiful backdrop. And I think we're gonna have
04:50a great time. You know, music is such a great, you know, conversation starters. It's a great
04:55way to start off something like the Grand Prix, you know, it's a great way to start off something
05:02like the Grand Prix. And I really feel like R&B is in a great space right now. People are wanting
05:09to hear R&B more and it's reminding us, you know, about connecting with each other and,
05:15you know, expressing ourselves. Like it's just, I'm going to bring that energy because that's
05:19the energy I want to bring to the room and have people just, you know, in a space of getting ready
05:23right before the turn up. Right. Yeah. Yeah. We start this energy off the right way.
05:29At above, at above the race is going to be incredible.
05:31That music therapy we all need right now, for sure.
05:34Yes. Yes, Debra. And I know, you know, you listen to good music all day, so.
05:37All day. I've been playing your music since 2004 on the radio. So I get my daily dose of Mario,
05:43let me tell you.
05:44Yeah, right. You look so amazing.
05:47Oh, thank you.
05:472004.
05:49Wow.
05:50Um, you're also in heavy rotation in my car, just so you know.
05:54Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate your support. Thank you.
05:57Thank you. You know what else is going to be in the room above the race, above the
06:01boulevard where all the cars are going to be racing is simulators. So people can.
06:06Oh, right.
06:07You know, hand.
06:08I heard about those. I told I was like, you know, I need it. I want to see some pictures
06:10of the ones you guys choose. I can't wait. It's going to be really cool if you've never
06:14actually sat inside of one of those cars. What the first. OK, so I'll be honest. The
06:19first time I did it, I put the suit on. I have a video about I got to send it to you.
06:25I wish I had it. I was sharing my screen. I put the suit on and I'm like the confidence
06:29is like at level 1000. Yeah. When I sat inside of the car, you literally have like this much
06:37room between your leg in the door. The engine is right behind your head. It just you know,
06:43I don't consider myself a claustrophobic person, but it was the first time I ever
06:47felt like I didn't have any control of the space. So your knees are probably. Yeah.
06:52Yeah. I was just I was in it. I was I was tucked in there. And when we were hitting
06:55those. I get it, though, because if you have too much space in those cars,
07:02because it's hugging you, it actually gives you more control.
07:04Yeah. You don't be rattling around in there.
07:06Yeah. But getting used to it was crazy. But this is beautiful. You have a great time.
07:12And you're really low to the ground, right?
07:14Yeah, super low to the ground. I mean, you could literally reach your arm out,
07:17which you shouldn't do and touch the ground. But you won't want to do that. Trust me. You
07:22just want to sit in there and be as still as possible.
07:24That's a life hack for Mario. Keep your hands in the moving vehicle.
07:29Absolutely.
07:30Listen, you know what else is moving is your new album. Glad You Came.
07:34Thank you. My new single Glad You Came just dropped. The album drops December 13th.
07:38Glad You Came is my sixth studio album. And I'm really proud of this project. I worked on it with
07:46James Fauntleroy, who is an incredible writer. He just had a number one record with Bruno and Lady
07:52Gaga. Just someone who loves R&B as much as I do. Working with people who had that same passion for
07:59preserving the art form was amazing. And this album is a very welcoming album about love,
08:05loss, intimacy from a very intellectual perspective. And, you know, just really
08:11bringing the conversation back to R&B, which is why I love the idea when they hit me about
08:15performing at Above the Race of doing an acoustic set. I just felt like it fit the space that I'm
08:20in right now so well. So you're going to be glad you came.
08:26Listen, speaking of space, I've been feasting on that jam all day.
08:29Wow.
08:30It is so refreshing.
08:33I love that.
08:34Man, I love that. I love that.
08:36Thank you. Thank you so much.
08:37Where did that come from? Because it's different. It's really different.
08:40You know, I grew up listening to so many different types of textures of music,
08:46from my grandmother to my mother to my grandfather, who was in love with the jazz.
08:51So when my friend, Benny X, who is an incredible producer, played the track for me and James in
08:57the studio, it immediately took me back to being a young kid and being introduced to jazz
09:02from my grandfather. So if you listen to space, you'll hear the jazz influence and the R&B
09:10influence and the retro influence. This song is probably the most standalone song on the album.
09:16A lot of the other records are more contemporary R&B. But for me, this was me paying homage to
09:22my grandfather and just great music in general and wanting people to just have a good time again.
09:27I was trying to figure out the time signature on it. It's like,
09:30is it four, four?
09:33It's right in between.
09:36It's in between.
09:37It's so good. And you know what I really appreciate about you and your voice is that
09:41when you use your upper register at falsetto, you don't lose the pitch. You stay right on point.
09:47Thank you, Debra.
09:48So many males.
09:49Debra, you know what? I might have to have you in the studio, Debra, because you literally...
09:54I feel like you're one of those people when you're in the studio, you're helping to create
09:58the vibe and I feel like you got a good ear.
10:01Thank you. Well, you can't stop moving when you hear it. But I mean, when you go up and
10:05there's no break in your voice at that midpoint where you usually hear the break, you just smooth
10:11all the way up and you stay on point.
10:12Thank you so much.
10:15Shout out to the karaoke machine my mom got me when I was 10 years old.
10:19And it was the ones that you could play CD and record with a cassette. So I would always record
10:24myself singing Marvin Gaye and Nat King Cole and all these people that my mom and grandma would
10:29play. And I was singing these songs at a young age and learning the just different ways to use
10:36my voice and express through the art of melody. And I think that that's something I've carried
10:42all these years. I've written the most on this album than I've written on any of my projects.
10:46So a lot of the influences are very original vibes and influences. So I'll be performing
10:51Space as well as Glad You Came at Above the Race, November 21st, of course, for this intimate event.
11:01I love the fact that thinking about your grandma and your mom planting those seeds of soul in you
11:08and they're starting to blossom now.
11:10Hold on. Seeds of soul? No, wait, wait. Seeds of soul is something special.
11:17I saw you and I thought it. I mean, you brought it up.
11:21Wow.
11:21It was your grandma that came in.
11:22The word. Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you.
11:25Okay.
11:27Next year, speaking of beautiful things.
11:29Yes.
11:30Going on tour with someone that is also mind-blowing, Miss Mary J. Blige.
11:35Miss Mary J. Blige, absolutely. For my fans tour, Miss Mary J. Blige,
11:43Ne-Yo, myself, me and Ne-Yo have gone on multiple times. We've had great runs, such great energy.
11:49I feel like this show is, if you love R&B, this is one of those ones that
11:56may not come around for a long time.
11:58So when the opportunity came, I jumped at it because, for me, Glad You Came is about
12:05celebrating the journey and I feel like both of those artists, one, me and Ne-Yo have created
12:10great music. He wrote Let Me Love You, my biggest song. So there's a lot of story there and history
12:18that I feel like makes this moment really special. So I'm excited about that starting
12:23the top of the year.
12:24I have to know how things like this come about. It's not a text from Mary's people,
12:29it's not Mary picking up the phone. How do you learn that you're going on tour with Mary and
12:34Ne-Yo again?
12:34You know what's funny? Mary called me about, well, she texted me about a year and a half ago
12:41and then she's like, Mary J., is this still your number? And I'm like, nah,
12:45this got to be like a joke or something, like whatever. So I say yes. And then like
12:50two days later she called me and she's like, I have a project I'm working on and I want
12:54you to be a part of it. She didn't mention what it was. So I'm thinking, okay, this is
12:59music, this is TV or something, you know, she's doing it all. And I didn't hear anything
13:04from her. I'm like, yes, I'm all the way in, whatever it is, let's make it happen.
13:08And then I get a call from my agent about the tour. So I guess I got to wait to ask
13:13her in person. Was that text or call about the tour or was it about something that we're
13:17going to do in the future? But no, it's a four circle moment for sure.
13:21So I have to ask you about something that a little birdie told me about, but I don't
13:28know if it's real or not. There's a certain TV show, and I think you know where I'm going
13:34with this, that has people on and people don't know who they are. Were you ever on a show
13:39like that? Because I don't want to give anything away. I mean, I've acted in many shows and,
13:46you know, people don't really know the true character. But if I don't know competition.
13:54Okay. No. Oh, I did dance with the stars. Did you really? Yeah, I did dance with the stars.
14:01Yeah. How did I miss that? This was a while ago. This was, man, this was over eight years ago.
14:06Oh, okay. I must've been sleeping. Yeah. You were there. You were floating in the clouds,
14:10Debra. Come on. You remember. No, but you know what? I have been hearing.
14:16Oh, somebody mentioned that to me recently. They're like, you got to be, I forgot who it was.
14:24I'm like, okay, I got to go listen to this guy and see what he sounds like. Because everybody's
14:29tagging me about it. I'm like, I don't. I haven't had time. I've been in the studio working. I've
14:34been traveling. I just literally got off a plane from Atlanta, promoting Stop Me For Christmas,
14:40a movie that just came out on BBC Plus. Tell us about that. Yeah. Stop Me For Christmas is a movie
14:46about a young lady who inherits her mom's boutique after she passes away. And I'm playing, kind of
14:52playing myself, but not really, a singer who is traveling and who is having a hard time in his
14:59love life. So my manager wants me to change my love life, settle down. And I'm like, no,
15:06I'm not ready for that yet. Long story short, she meets Tiffany, who becomes my stylist.
15:13But my manager tries to kind of hook us up by counseling hotel rooms when she comes and
15:18style me and saying, it's one room. You guys got to get to know each other. She's styling you.
15:23So there's this love story that happens, but I'm dealing with my life and I'm hiding it from her.
15:27There's a lot of scandals behind the scenes, but it ends up being a beautiful story.
15:32But the through line of the story that I love, the reason why I chose to do it is because
15:36it shows a young woman who is going through these challenges of inheriting something that's
15:42really special to her, but in a world where it's really hard to get people to invest in
15:49new businesses. Her mom's clients are women who've been with her for years, but she doesn't know how
15:57to translate. Now there's a new space that she's in trying to find herself, trying to date, trying
16:01to do this. So I think a lot of people who are business owners or women who are opening their
16:05own businesses will be inspired by her story. And guys who have a challenging time, balancing out
16:13your business life, your personal life, your love life, and just trying to stay in a place
16:17where you're keeping your integrity. It's a good story overall, but it's also a holiday story.
16:23So it brings everybody together. And so therefore, happy ending,
16:26which I always love. Tell us again the name and where we can watch it.
16:31BET Plus. It's on BET Plus and it's called Style Me for Christmas.
16:35Okay. Got it. Got it. Anything else we need to know before we give one last plug for Vegas?
16:40Man, new album, Glad You Came out December 13th is up for pre-order right now. I'm going to start
16:47getting ready for tour in the next couple of weeks. My single Glad You Came is out right now,
16:51as well as Space. And I can't wait to see y'all soon. November 21st Above the Race is
16:57going to be amazing. Yeah, we're going to have a good time. Let's go. Off to the races.
17:03Word to our Wave family. If you want to win your way into the Above the Race experience
17:07hosted by Yamaha Resort and Palms Resort, go to 947thewave.com right now.
17:12Yes.
17:13And as soon as possible for the ultimate race prize package, where we get to fly
17:18two Wave listeners.
17:19You get to fly. Yep, exactly.
17:21To Vegas. Going to put you up for two nights at the Palms Resort in a Fantasy Tower suite. Hey,
17:27hey, hey.
17:27Listen, and those suites are beautiful. You're going to love it.
17:32You're going to love it.
17:32You get to go to Mario's invite-only performance. You can't get into this concert. You can't buy
17:36tickets to it. So this is very, very special. And that's going to be at the Eiffel Tower
17:40Restaurant high above the race. You've got simulators in the room. You're going to drive.
17:44You're going to groove, DJ, handcrafted cocktails. Who in the world would not want to go to that?
17:50This is just the appetizer to the whole experience at the Eiffel Tower race. They're doing it big
17:54this year. I'm excited about it. I can't wait to see it. As you can see, the sun from you is
17:59shining on me right now. So that's a good sign. You just sent that right over here.
18:03Good segue.
18:04It's feeling good right here.
18:06It's feeling good. I feel the warmth. Follow Mario on Instagram at Mario Worldwide. Check
18:11him out on YouTube. Music, break a leg in Vegas, Mario. Maybe I'll just find a way to get there.
18:16And thank you so much.
18:17I hope you do, so we can dance to space. Thank you, Debra. Appreciate you.
18:21Love you, Virgo.
18:22Love, love.
18:24Bye.
18:25Good night.
18:25Oh, Mario.
18:26Yes.
18:26Could you do one thing for us?
18:28Of course.
18:29We just have every artist that we talk to say what they think soul is. So we go soul is,
18:36and then you say your answer.
18:39Soul is mortal. Soul is an experience of truth, presence, and intention through God's art.
18:54I knew you would absolutely drill into the heart of it, and you did. Thank you so much. Thank you.
18:59Thank you, Mario.
19:00Thank you for asking that beautiful question.
19:02You're a blessing to this world.
19:04Thank you, Debra. Appreciate you. Have a good day.
19:06Take care.