Mario

Mario Dewar Barrett (born August 27, 1986), known mononymously as Mario, is an American R&B singer, songwriter and dancer. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he signed a record deal with J Records—at the age of 14—to release his self-titled debut studio album (2002). Its lead single, "Just a Friend 2002", peaked within the Billboard Hot 100's top five, while the album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200. His second album, Turning Point (2004), was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Let Me Love You," which was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, won two Billboard Music Awards, and yielded his furthest commercial success.

His third studio album, Go (2007), saw mild success with its singles "How Do I Breathe" and "Crying Out for Me". His fourth album, D.N.A. (2009), matched his self-titled debut on the Billboard 200, while its lead single, "Break Up" (featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett), peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In the following year, Barrett was ranked No. 98 by Billboard on their "Artist of the Decade" list. His fifth album, Dancing Shadows (2018), saw further lyrical introspection and creative control than previous commercially-oriented projects, serving as his first independent release.

Aside from his musical career, he appeared in several television shows and films such as Step Up (2006) of the Step Up franchise, Freedom Writers (2007), season 6 of Dancing with the Stars and Empire (2018–2020). In 2019, Mario starred in the live television production of the Primetime Emmy nominated musical Rent. In 2024, he was runner-up on season 12 of The Masked Singer.