Mario - Interview

Mario – Interview

Bigger
It’s good to see you back, welcome to your second home Mario

Mario
Thank you for welcoming me here, thank you for having me back it’s lovely

Bigger
I gotta say the new single has got to be one of the best ballads I’ve heard in decades and that’s no joke mate

Mario
I wouldn’t call it a ballad I think it’s a mid-tempo

Bigger
Yeah, whatever terminology you wanna put it in I think it’s amazing. I gotta say to ya we’ve heard from the delightful big pond of America that most of J Records wanted to go with ‘Boom’ for that first single but you insisted with going with ‘Let Me Love You’ as the first single is that correct?

Mario
Me and my team yeah insisted on going with ‘Let Me Love You’ we thought that it was the best way to introduce me back into the market place. I mean I think that this song is such a strong song that it can’t be over looked man even by somebody as young as myself or younger, or people a lot older than me can still relate to it, so I just thought that this song was a great song to introduce me back again

Bigger
And what a great choice and 10 weeks at the top of the charts in America

Mario
Actually right now its 11 weeks

Bigger
How does that feel?

Mario
It feels great man, you work so hard on something for a long time and see how all the work is paid off is very comforting

Bigger
Sure. And that’s the first number for you in the states

Mario
Um yeah first number one

Bigger
What did it first feel like when you first made it to the top of the charts where was ya and what did it feel like?

Mario
I think I was maybe in L.A. it felt great man and it lighted up my whole day still to this point I can’t believe it so I think its something I won’t grasp until later on in my life you know how serious and how much it really means but you know I’m working for more number ones you know I want more than that (Laughs)

Bigger
Yeah defiantly man and lets be honest to have a number one hit off ya second album is an excellent achievement

Mario
Yeah it is a lot of artist don’t make it past their first album so its defiantly been a blessing for me to have this album, yet it hasn’t been as easy as it looks. I defiantly do appreciate everyone that’s helped me on this record

Bigger
I don’t doubt it for one minute I’ve been in the game a long time to realise how much work you have to do bruv but your right cos there is probably people out that sit there and think ‘god all the money he’s got and all this he does, life of luxury dripping in material things.

Mario
I’m not a materialistic person a lot of people ask me to describe myself but that’s one thing I can say about myself is that I’m not really materialistic I got a couple of jewellery but I’m into very simple things but that’s what makes me into who I am

Bigger
What would you say to people is that hardest part of your job cos they probably know what the easiest part is but what do you think is the hardest part of your job?

Mario
The hardest part of my job is the travelling you sometimes don’t really feel like being bothered by anybody you know that could be your busiest day (laughs)

Bigger
You wanna chill but you can’t

Mario
Yeah then you have a fight with yourself to maintain your characteristic you know sometimes it’s hard for me to find myself

Bigger
The album cover you defiantly look like you’ve grown into a young man

Mario
Let me tell you something when I first saw the photo from the photo shoot I was like this is the cover right here, I took a lot of good pictures but that picture said the most like it was a story I was looking at myself and I could see that there was growth from the first album

Bigger
It says it all before you hear the record that Mario’s grown as an artist and as a person like hand in hand. I gotta say like when you take tracks like ‘How Could you’ obviously ‘Let Me Love You’ and also ‘Couldn’t Say No’ very mature tracks very mature songs extremely well written and produced you know they are classics all three of those tracks was that actually purpose to show people how you have grown as an artist?

Mario
Yeah of course I went through a lot of different songs for this album but the songs which stood out the most where the ones that were most relevant to my life and all three of those that you just mentioned are relevant and when artist do songs like that its like Alicia Keys I think that her songs are so classic cos I can feel that she has experienced those situations and when artists do songs like that they always stand out

Bigger
Besides the strong songs you’ve also come with club tracks as well, which makes a perfect album. ’18’ what a record I’ve got to be honest with you the first time I heard it last year the hairs stood up on the back on my neck listening to it in a club cos of the sound that comes out of it just pumps. There’s been so many rumours about that track that its over a beef between you and Usher we’ve heard so many stories, what is it all about?

Mario
There’s no beef I wanna clear that up never will be it will never get to that point cos first of all me and him are two different artist I admire him for the work that he’s done. The track 18 is simply saying that look there are a lot of comparisons between me and him but I feel I have time to grow into the artist that I’m gonna be you know I’m only 18 that’s basically what I’m saying

Bigger
It’s a wicked lyric ‘7 years to catch up, so whats up’

Mario
Thanks but its not a beef thing you know rumours are always gonna be there comparisons are inevitable but that was just my way of expressing how I felt about the situation

Bigger
Mr X directed the video to ‘Let Me Love You’ how did you match treatment of the video cos it’s a brilliant video

Mario
Well he shoots a lot of dance and R&B videos he basically came to me with the idea of shooting something that was out of my character but at the same time it’s a situation that I have experienced you know cutting my hair off, then boxing the bag every morning cos I’m a very active person and me seeing a girl go through a situation where I feel I need to step in and take somebody else’s place I did have some input into the video but mostly it was X’s ideas

Bigger
Sure it’s a wicked video its so colourful as well you know its really eye catching do you know whats gonna be the second single yet?

Mario
Well in the states I just shot the video for the second single ‘How Could You’ this video is very edgy very real to life a lot of people will be able to relate to it it’s a little hot and steamy

Bigger
Talking of hot and steamy we did ask actual people that listen to the show to email in and the over whelming question was of course from the ladies ‘Does Mario have a female in his life at the moment’?

Mario
I’ve been getting asked that question for a long time. Over the time between albums I had experienced a relationship so to answer your question yeah I have had a female in my life but if you listen to the song ‘How Could You’ you’ll know how that ended up

Bigger
Just over two years ago if my memory serves me right we saw you perform to a virtually industry only audience then you obviously done the performance at the Empire which we saw a very different Mario with dance routines which pulled the crowd and the girls screaming how much preparation has to go into a stage performance like that one we witnessed that night?

Mario
Well I practice with the band for like 2 weeks on that show and to prepare for it’s a lot of mental and physical preparation most for me is mental you know how you wanna come across but you can’t prepare for the chemistry between you and the fans that only comes naturally so that’s a lot of how the show was a lot of chemistry between me and the fans

Bigger
You look like your heading for a least a top 5 UK hit in the national charts minimum I wouldn’t even mind putting a bet on it making national number one in the UK for you cos its such a strong record what is it like to have hits records in other countries?

Mario
Its like something that you never realise is happening like for me sometimes I don’t see myself as an artist I see it as a gift I have from God that’s the only thing I really recognise and that everything else is complimentary something that comes with what you do so when I see I have number one records that’s a gift in itself it’s a very exciting thing

Bigger
The album is absolutely astonishing and if I sat there and tried to pick a track it would be very hard but is there a track on there that really means something special to you?

Mario
I think that most of the tracks on there mean a lot to me cos most of them are relevant to my life ‘How Could You’ Couldn’t Say No’ they mean a lot ‘Couldn’t Say No’ is about me being in a relationship and going through a lot of things and my girl not understanding what it really means to be a good girlfriend so I step outside the relationship and I admit to her what the problem is and how this happened and I couldn’t say no cos of the situation

Bigger
What more can I say all I’ve gotta say is thank you for taking time out and joining us as ever and we know your on a real tight schedule today but before you go I gotta ask ya with what you’ve done already and so much has been achieved what do you see as your biggest achievement so far?

Mario
My biggest achievement I guess you can say breaking that semaphore jinx

Bigger
Big luck with the album not that your gonna need it and big luck with the single and thank you for great music again

Mario
A big thank you to all the fans I love you guys and I’m gonna keep trying to bring you good music and Bigger thank you for your support man.