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It's too early to tell if Mario can usurp
Usher as hip-hop's leading heartthrob, but the 18-year-old's
not that far behind either. His velvety suave approach clicks
on his promises of love and romantic dilemmas on this second
album. Mario's strengths lay in the ballads such as on the pleading
"How Could You" and "Let Me Love You," while
holding his own on the uptempo tracks featuring guest rappers
("18" with Cassidy, "Boom" featuring Juvenile).
He does a sly turn on the funky lean "Here I Go Again"
and "Call the Cops." With its slick, somewhat predictable,
production, Turning Point doesn't exactly stand out from
the rest of the pack, but Mario's ultrasmooth and earnest delivery
more than compensates, resulting in a work of seduction and bounce.
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