Turning Point (Mario album)
Turning Point is the second studio album by American recording artist Mario, released by J Records on December 7, 2004 in the United States. A R&B record with heavy elements of soul and hip hop music, it involves a diverse roster of collaborators including Scott Storch, Lil Jon, The Underdogs, Carvin & Ivan, and Sean Garrett. The album guests include Cassidy, Juvenile, Jadakiss, T.I. and Baby Cham. The first single from the album was "Let Me Love You", which was written by Ne-Yo was a number one hit in the United States and number two in  the United Kingdom, becoming Mario's biggest hit to date. The second single was a split single. In the US, "How Could You", a song written by Bay Area singer-songwriter J. Valentine, was released (reaching number 52) but in the UK, "Here I Go Again" was released (reaching number 11). The fourth and final single from the album in the US was "Boom", featuring Juvenile. In support of the album, Mario supported R&B trio Destiny's Child in their tour, Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It, as an opening act for the American leg. The album received two nominations at  the 48th Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary R&B Album. Concept and themes. In an interview with MTV, Mario explained, "One of the biggest reasons I wanted to do it is that I did want to stand out from everybody. I get to share it with the world... It's good for me. I been blessed to be in this situation. Everything's been going great. I just been pacing myself, working real hard on this album. That's what my life is about right now: my transition into manhood." The interviewer from MTV said, "If you look at the production  credits for the mid-tempo record, you may be surprised to discover that the song was produced by Scott Storch, who's been making noise with club bangers like "Baby Boy" and "Lean Back" the last couple of years." Mario said, "He did a lot of stuff back in the day, you'd be surprised," Mario said of the producer's talents and versatility. "He played me some stuff he did for Erykah Badu, for Lauryn Hill, for Eminem and 50 Cent. When I went to Scott, we went in the studio and freestyled and came up with some great  records." The interviewer stated, "Storch also produced "Call the Cops" and the "Let Me Love You" remix with Jadakiss and T.I. Mario called on Lil Jon and Juvenile for "Boom." Mario said, "It's a straight club banger... There's another record called 'How Could You.' I did that with the Underdogs. It's a ballad about me being in a relationship with some shorty. She was doing some things behind my back. I'm telling her, 'Yo, how can you teach somebody the ghetto Kama Sutra?' It's a timeless record, real strong and powerful. Then there's a  record called 'Nikes Fresh Out the Box.' I'm talking about a girl, but I'm comparing her to my Nikes." Release and promotion. DualDisc edition. Due to the success of the album, it was repackaged and released in a DualDisc format on April 19, 2005 in the US. It includes the album in enhanced stereo, the music videos for "Let Me Love You" and "How Could You", sessions at AOL Special Live Performances of "Let Me Love You" and "How Could You", and a photo gallery. Critical reception. In his review from AllMusic, Jason Birchmeier wrote that "there's  not much else on "Turning Point" that comes close to matching the balladic magic of "Let Me Love You" [...] Above all, though, it's "Let Me Love You" and its remix that make "Turning Point" a noteworthy effort for this teenager and a fine second album overall." Jem Aswad from "Entertainment Weekly" said that "Turning Point" "is plenty catchy, but it’s also so full of sugar that the spoon stands up," giving the album a B−. Virgin Media said that "the production is tight throughout the album but not overly polished, and there is enough edge maintained from start  to finish to suggest that Mario may indeed buck a few R&B trends in the months to come." Baz Dreisinger from "Blender" felt that "though the Baltimore-born singer is newly legal (as he tells us on the too-terse club jam "18"), his enticingly even-toned voice—smooth as R. Kelly's—transcends teen-pop. It's even manly enough to convey lovelorn intensity ("Here I Go Again"), offer explicit "Directions" to an uncorrupted gal pal ("Trust me, I got skills"), then sweetly stage an "intimate talk" with her ("Like Me Real Hard"). Only his age-appropriate tracks—the singsong  club jingle "Girl I Need", or the irony-free homage to "Nikes fresh out the box"—remind us that Mario is not a boy, but not yet a man." "USA Today" critic Steve Jones found that "the material seems more what you'd expect from an 18-year-old [...] There are still a few lightweight ditties and songs that show he hasn't completely left his youth behind ("Nikes"), but he seems pointed in the right direction." Accolades. The album was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Commercial performance. "Turning Point"s first appearance was in  the US "Billboard" 200, selling roughly 161,000 copies in the first week, debuting at number thirteen. It was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over 1.2 million copies. The album's last appearance was week 37/2005 in the Belgium Albums Top 50. Its peak position was number 6, on the Dutch Albums Top 100; it stayed there for one week. Its highest entry was number 9 in the Dutch Albums Top 100. Track listing. Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Turning Point". Notes and sample credits Personnel. Credits are adapted from the album ’s Liner Notes and AllMusic.