Mario Dewar Barrett (born August 27, 1986), known mononymously as Mario, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and model. He is known for his singles “Just a Friend” (2002) and “Let Me Love You” (2004), which won him two Billboard Music Awards. He has released four studio albums: Mario (2002), Turning Point (2004), Go (2007), and D.N.A. (2009). At the end of the 2000s decade, Mario was ranked No. 98 by Billboard on their “Artist of the Decade” list. His fifth album Dancing Shadows, released in 2018, saw him in a more introspective sound. His 2020 single “Closer” was released and has since started the Closer Challenge on the social media platform TikTok.
Aside from his career in music, he appeared in several television shows and films such as Step Up (2006), Freedom Writers (2007), and Empire (2018–2020). In 2019, Mario starred in the live television production of the musical Rent.
