{{Redirect|Crying Out|the 2010 Canadian film|Crying Out (film)}} {{Infobox song | name = Crying Out for Me | cover = Mario - Crying out for Me.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Mario | album = Go | released = October 31, 2007 | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = R&B<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/mario-go-1214071/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221110732/http://www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/mario-go-1214071/ | archive-date=2007-12-21 | title=Mario - Go - Album Reviews }}</ref> | length = 4:48 | label = *3rd Street *J | writer = *Jasper Cameron *Jamal Jones | producer = Polow da Don | prev_title = How Do I Breathe | prev_year = 2007 | next_title = Music for Love | next_year = 2008 }}
"'''Crying Out for Me'''" is an R&B song by American singer Mario, released by J Records on October 31, 2007 as the second single from his third studio album, ''Go'' (2007). It was written by Jasper Cameron and Polow da Don, while the latter handled the song's production.
"Crying Out for Me" peaked at number 33 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the album's highest-charting single in the United States.
==Background== "Crying Out for Me" was written by Jasper Cameron and Polow da Don for Mario's third studio album ''Go'' (2007).<ref name="liner notes">{{cite AV media notes|title=Go|others=Mario|year=2007|publisher=J Records |type=booklet}}</ref> Production on the track was overseen by the latter,<ref name="liner notes"/> while Cameron also served as a vocal producer.<ref name="liner notes"/> Mario elaborated on "Crying Out for Me" in an interview with hhnlive.com in 2007: "This record is special because when Polow was making the track, it's a very musical, layered track. There's sounds that come in towards the end of the song that's not really in the top of the song, so it just helps to tell the story. The record talks about how you could be with somebody or know somebody for so long that it gets to a certain point in the relationship where y'all start feeling for each other. I talk about how I can hear her heart crying out for me."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/mario/crying-out-for-me|title=New Music: Mario – "Crying Out for Me"|access-date=October 8, 2024|website=hhnlive.com|via=Songfacts.com}}</ref>
==Critical reception== ''Drum'' described "Crying Out for Me" as "a beautifully produced track that showcases [Mario's] voice,"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L1InAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Crying+Out+for+Me%22+MARIO+REVIEW|title=Review: Mario, Crying Out for Me|date=2008|access-date=October 8, 2024|magazine=Drum}}</ref> while Mark Edward Nero from About.com called the song an "Usher sound-alike jam."<ref>{{cite web|first=Mark Edward |last=Nero|url=http://randb.about.com/b/2007/11/12/new-music-mario-crying-out-for-me.htm|title=New Music: Mario - "Crying Out for Me"|access-date=January 25, 2009|archive-date=June 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605180703/http://randb.about.com/b/2007/11/12/new-music-mario-crying-out-for-me.htm|url-status=dead|website=About.com}}</ref> Aaron Fields from KSTW.com wrote: "I really like this track produced by Polow da Don. It's a smooth track about the classic subject [...] woman is being done wrong in her current relationship in which Mario sings to her, "I can hear your heart, crying out for me." Great vocals, great beat and definitely a great choice for the second single."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kstw.com/underground/Mario.Go.Go.2.599751.html |title=The Beat: Mario "Go" Review |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203190502/http://kstw.com/underground/Mario.Go.Go.2.599751.html |archivedate=December 3, 2008|website=KSTW.com}}</ref> AllMusic editor Andy Kellman ranked the song among his highlights on parent album ''Go''.<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r938942|pure_url=yes}} |title=Go - Mario|last=Kellman|first=Andy|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=October 8, 2024}}</ref>
==Commercial performance== "Crying Out for Me" became the album's highest-charting single in the United States.<ref name="Billboardhot100"/> It spent 15 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 33, where it stayed for one week.<ref name="Billboardhot100"/> Elsewhere, it reached the top five on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming Mario's highest-charting single since "Let Me Love You" (2005).<ref name="Billboardrandbhiphop"/> The magazine ranked the song 12th on its 2008 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song year-end chart.<ref name="Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2008"/> On July 30, 2008, "Crying Out for Me" was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).<ref name="RIAA"/>
==Music video== [[Image:Starkman Building, 544 Mateo Street, Los Angeles-14055098.jpg|thumb|"Crying Out for Me" was filmed in various locations, including the Starkman Building in Downtown Los Angeles.<ref name="imdb"/>]] A music video for "Crying Out for Me was directed by R. Malcom Jones and filmed in Los Angeles.<ref name="imdb">{{cite web | title=Mario: Crying Out for Me (2007)| website= IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7769596/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_cred_c_15|access-date=October 8, 2024}}</ref> Costume designed by June Ambrose, it premiered on BET's ''Access Granted'' on September 17, 2007. In the video, the song has some alternate changes. In the beginning, Mario arrives at some place in his Porsche 911 Turbo. He sees his female friend having an argument with her boyfriend. When her boyfriend walks off, Mario walks over to greet her. Her boyfriend jealously snatches her away from him and gets in his face. The girl, bruised, calls Mario from a payphone. They then go to a club. He picks her up later and she looking over her shoulder, leaves. After they embrace, Mario drives off. They get a surprise when they notice that they are being followed by the girl's boyfriend. He tries to run them off the road but ends up crashing, killing himself. They get out to investigate and see that he is dead. The girl tearfully turns to Mario and he comforts her.
==Remix== The official remix of "Crying Out for Me" features rapper Lil Wayne, while another one features rapper Busta Rhymes. None of the remixed were included on the physical single of "Crying Out for Me" or parent album ''Go''.<ref name="MTV News">{{cite web | title=Mario Gets Back To Making Music With Akon, Timbaland, Neptunes| work=MTV News| url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1557037/20070412/mario.jhtml| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429010915/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1557037/20070412/mario.jhtml| url-status=dead| archive-date=April 29, 2007| accessdate=April 14, 2007}}</ref> In 2019, Canadian singer Tory Lanez sampled "Crying Out for Me" in his song "The Cry" from his fourth studio album ''Chixtape 5''. Mario appears as a guest vocalist on the song.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whosampled.com/Mario/Crying-Out-for-Me/|title=Crying Out for Me by Mario: Sampled In...|access-date=October 8, 2024|via=whosampled.com}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{track listing | headline = Digital single<ref>{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/6GbgtlLDAm3IZBisCYVAp7|title=Crying Out for Me by Mario|access-date=October 8, 2024|via=Spotify}}</ref> | extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Crying Out for Me | note1 = radio edit | length1 = 3:21
| title2 = Crying Out for Me | note2 = instrumental version | length2 = 3:21
| title3 = Crying Out for Me | note3 = callout hook | length3 = 0:16 }}
==Credits and personnel== Credits lifted from the liner notes of ''Go''.<ref name="liner notes"/> {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} *Mario Barrett – vocals *Jasper Cameron – vocal producer, writer *J. Erving – management *Mike Hartnett – guitar *Polow da Don – producer, writer {{col-2}} *Corey Stocker – recording engineer *Phil Tan – mixing enginner *Tony Terrebonne – recording engineer *Elvis Williams – keyboards {{col-end}}
==Charts== {{col-start}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Weekly chart performance for "Crying Out for Me" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2007–2008) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|33|artist=Mario|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 15, 2014|refname="Billboardhot100"}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardrandbhiphop|5|artist=Mario|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 15, 2014|refname="Billboardrandbhiphop"}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardrhythmic|12|artist=Mario|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 23, 2021|refname="Billboardrhythmic"}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Year-end chart performance for "Crying Out for Me" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2008) ! scope="col"| Position |- ! scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (''Billboard'')<ref name="Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2008">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2008/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2008|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=August 23, 2021}}</ref> | 12 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Crying Out for Me"}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Mario|title=Crying Out for Me|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2007|certyear=2008|access-date=September 22, 2014|refname="RIAA"}} {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
== Release history == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+Release dates and formats for "Crying Out for Me" ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label(s) ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- ! scope="row"| United States | March 3, 2008 | Mainstream airplay | J | style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{Cite web |title=FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more! |url=http://fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101021162013/http://fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239 |archive-date=2010-10-21 |access-date=2026-03-06 |website=fmqb.com}}</ref> |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Mario (singer)}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crying Out For Me}} Category:2006 songs Category:2007 singles Category:Mario (singer) songs Category:J Records singles Category:Song recordings produced by Polow da Don Category:Songs written by Polow da Don Category:Songs written by Jasper Cameron