Posted March 24, 2008 - If there is one thing women love, it’s a confident man. R&B crooner, Mario, has embarked on a journey that your average 22-year old would turndown in a heartbeat. Dancing with the Stars, ABC’s infamous dancing competition, shows Mario in a whole new light. BET.com caught up with the new dancing sensation and inquired about getting involved with his new pastime, infiltrating more choreography into his music and who he may pose a threat to in the R&B world of dancing.
“My manager called me while I was overseas with this idea, but he wanted to tell me in person because if he told me over the phone, he thought I might have said no,” Mario told BET.com. But after much deliberation, the singer finally decided to give in. “So he told me, and I thought about it for a second, but you know what I thought about? When I saw my favorite actors and athletes on the show, I felt more connected to them on a personal level and if I do the show, my fans can feel that same way about me and I can also entertain them," he said.
And with any kind of dance competition, modifying your wardrobe is a must. Fortunately for Mario, issues such as those didn’t faze him one bit. “At first, I was like ‘I’m never going to wear ballroom pants, never gon wear Cuban heels; never going to happen in life. But you know a man who’s secure with himself can do that, so you know I think it’s cool,” Mario revealed.
As for pursuing “King of Dance” honors in the R&B realm, Mario feels there is no competition between him and his comrades, as everyone brings their own unique and creative style to the forefront. “You know what man, all those guys (Omarion, Chris Brown, Usher)...are very talented and they each have a different way of expressing their dance. Usher comes from the more choreographed lane, Omarion is just straight freestyle; he was a dancer before he was a singer. Chris was a dancer before he was a singer,” Mario stated. And though he denies any type of rivalry between his comrades, he remained very clear on the distinction between him and his R&B buddies. He continued “I was a singer first, and dance is something I acquired through being a performer, so this is a time where I’ve been the best shape I’ve ever been. I definitely plan to implement more dancing into my music career.”
Mario is gearing up to release his fourth single, “Music for Love” off his third solo project, Go! For more updates on Mario check out his official website www.Mario2u.Com and make sure you Vote for Mario on Mondays at 8pm EST through Tuesday 12pm EST.