It’s been eight years since Mario released his last album. Now the “Let Me Love You” crooner is back with Dancing Shadows, his most personal project yet. Hot off the release, Mario stopped by Rap-Up HQ to discuss his hiatus, new music, and dating life.

“The title sums up my life over the past few years,” said the 32-year-old singer. “Me having all these different experiences and trying to put them into one body of work, and having what I experienced be the driving force in my creativity—from personal things to relationships to business.”

Mario spent time in London recording his fifth studio album, which marks the first release on his own label New Citizen. “I think it’s my most eccentric piece of work yet and nostalgic for me,” he explained.

During his time away from the spotlight, he was able to take a step back and live life. “The stars have aligned now for me to be in a place creatively where I feel great and I feel really confident and excited about releasing this new project to my fans.”

But when he’s not in the studio, it’s going down in the DM. The ladies man admits to meeting girls over social media. “I don’t use dating apps, but my Instagram is a dating app,” he said, adding, “You don’t need a dating app when your DMs is poppin’.”

Watch him reveal his wildest DMs and stream Dancing Shadows below.