Mario's D.N.A.

At the core of Mario's D.N.A. is a captivating and fresh sound that allows him to sink into the grooves. From the opener, "Break Up," a high powered up tempo piece featuring Gucci Mane & Sean Garrett to the piano driven "The Hardest Moment," D.N.A. accomplishes what Mario set out to prove musically.

Being the fourth release by the R&B singer, D.N.A. departs from where Mario was musically. There are few ballads, which were observable on the previous albums. Despite this shift in sound, Mario's voice is modern and each intonation on the lyrics feels heartfelt.

D.N.A. is complete with production afficionados ranging from Bangladesh to Stargate and in essence cements Mario as a cutting edge R&B singer. Both "I Choose You" and "Thinkin About You," are noteworthy in that they return Mario to his comfort zone of musical arrangements that unify with his voice; while the old school "Stuttering," and hard hitting "Get Off," which features Ludacris; work but lack the sophisticated vitality that is key on other tracks.

Mario said in an interview that D.N.A. is the most personal album of his career and that is on display throughout.

Final Grade: B+