TURNING POINT

Mario first earned attention in his mid-teens with his huge hit "Just a Friend," a smooth R&B updating of Biz Markie's rap classic, and followed it up with a successful self-titled debut. With the shift into adulthood for his second record, Mario faced inevitable comparisons to another newly matured R&B crooner--Usher. Far from shying away from his similarities to Usher, Mario gets them out of the way on the first track of 2004's TURNING POINT, "18," where, with the help of Cassidy, he reminds listeners that he has "seven years to catch up" to the older superstar. While Mario opens with that tough declaration, his forte is the slow jam, and TURNING POINT is chock full of them. He follows "18" with the album's first single, the sultry "Let Me Love You," which proves to be straight out of the Marvin Gaye playbook. Mario channels the spirit of Teddy Pendergrass on the remorseful "Couldn't Say No," and recalls Jodeci on the melodious "Directions." Mario also doesn't slip when presented with a harder hip-hop beat, as evidenced on the Juvenile-touting "Boom" and the remix of "Let Me Love You" with T.I. and Jadakiss.

• Format: CD
• Released: 4/4/2005