Braid My Hair
| "Braid My Hair" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Mario | ||||
| from the album Mario | ||||
| Released | October 15, 2002 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 4:06 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Warryn Campbell | |||
| Mario singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Braid My Hair" on YouTube | ||||
"Braid My Hair" is a song by American singer Mario. It was written by Warryn Campbell and Harold Lilly and produced by the former for Mario's self-titled debut album (2002), while Lilly is also credited as a vocal producer on the track. A downtempo contemporary R&B song about young love and the intimacy of getting your hair braided, it was conceived late into the production of Mario. Released by J Records in October 2002 as the album's second single, the song reached the top 20 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Background
[edit]"Braid My Hair" was written by Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell and Harold Lilly.[2] Recorded late into the studio sessions for Mario's self-titled debut album (2002),[3] the song was conceived in New York after Mario had come into the studio with his hair half-way braided and half-way out, feeling unmotivated and just wanting to let his girlfriend braid his hair.[3] It was not until when Lilly was playing the instrumental track for what would become "Braid My Hair," that he suggested to write a song about it.[4] Mario elaborated on the creation process: "He was like, "That's the song right there! We need to write a song about you just being a young kid, just wanting to do something simple, like going home and getting your hair braided, but we're gonna make it super melodic." So I went into the booth and started singing melodies to the ideas he was having. Then Harold, who was more experienced with writing, just wrote the lyrics.[3]
Critical reception
[edit]Billboard remarked that the "age-appropriate "Braid My Hair" proves that the singer can also slow things down; at the same time, the love song is a fine showcase for his youthful tenor."[5] Mya Singleton from Yardbarker noted that with the song, the "singer expresses that while he lives the life of a musician, sometimes he just wants to go home to relieve some stress. Part of the relief process is getting his hair braided; in that moment, he feels more comfortable and at ease."[6] In his review of parent album Mario, Dan LeRoy from AllMusic felt that "Braid My Hair" manages "to evoke the downside of being a child star without sounding like an ungrateful punk."[7]
Music video
[edit]A music video for "Braid My Hair" was directed by Bryan Barber.[8] As with the visuals for "Just a Friend 2002," the video was initially planned to be filmed in Mario's hometown of Baltimore, Maryland,[3] but since the singer was forced to stay in Los Angeles to record some more tracks for his debut album, Mario and Barber ended up shooting it at a local museum.[3] Commenting on the video, Mario told Buzzfeed in 2018: "I told the Brian Barber that I wanted it to be like real life, showing me returning "home" to visit family, me being on the road, and even performing at a show. I just wanted it to be super raw, super real. So we just created that concept. It was cool and family-oriented. It was showing you the boy-next-door."[3]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Braid My Hair" (radio edit) | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Braid My Hair" (instrumental) | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Braid My Hair" (call out hook) | 3:23 |
Credits and personnel
[edit]Credits lifted from the liner notes of Mario.[2]
- Mario Barrett – vocals
- Warryn Campbell – producer, vocal producer, writer
- Thor Laewe – recording engineer
- Harold Lilly – vocal producer, writer
- Manny Marroquin – mixing engineer
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 74 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] | 18 |
References
[edit]- ^ "The Number Ones: Mario's "Let Me Love You"". December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Mario (booklet). Mario. J Records. 2002.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c d e f "What Had Happened Was: An Oral History Of Mario's Teenage Slow Jam "Braid My Hair"". buzzfeed.com. November 28, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ Lowe, Donette (September 1, 2016). "Interview: Mario Is Coming Back To Music, But He Still Needs More". Vibe.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. August 3, 2002. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ Singleton, Mya (July 17, 2024). "Fuzzworthy: 20 memorable songs about hair". Yardbarker. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ LeRoy, Dan. "Mario – Mario". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ "Braid My Hair, Mario". Retrieved October 11, 2024 – via IMDb.
- ^ "Braid My Hair (CD, Single,)". Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via Discogs.
- ^ "Mario Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
- ^ "Mario Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
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