"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
"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
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
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]
