I had to have this album. No. Let me rephrase that one. For some strange reason I needed this album. Strange indeed when you consider that two years back I wanted nothing to do with his hit singles Sexylove and So Sick. Who had time for another flash in the pan, love sick R&B lothario cascading along on slow, syrupy beats? Not I.
But funny things can happen when you let your guards down. Not listening to the radio or watching music video channels constantly [that actually play videos]can often give one the room he or she needs to digest an artist, single, and album on his or her own, and eventually I stopped being a snob and started being real. Chris Brown, Usher, Omarion, Bobby Valentino, Lloyd, Mario, Marques Houston; I know I know, it's hard to keep up, but sometimes you got to. Sometimes an artist deserves to be heard, no matter how crowded the game may be, and right now Ne-Yo is that artist.
I finally got my hands on Ne-Yo's sophomore disc Because of You this past Friday, and it's been in heavy rotation ever since. [bought not downloaded. again, for some reason I had to wait until I got a case, booklet, and pressed disc. dunno why.]Lead single Because of You skates by on a slick bass line and light tinkering of the keys, as Ne-Yo's fluid vocals ache with desperation, giving in to a girl whose whip appeal is "the sweetest drug." This subject repeats itself again and again over the course of the album. Girls, women, ladies, fly honeys: muses to Ne-Yo's Pharoah. They drive him "crazy" [the light bounce, wink, and nod to Off the Wall era Michael Jackson, Crazy]; Make him beg and plead [the new jack, homie-lover-friend vibe of Can We Chill]; And of course, get him in loads of trouble. [Leaving Tonight. A Fire and Desire-esque duet with Jennifer Hudson (she of Dreamgirls and American Idol fame) begging to be a urban "you did me wrong", "no, baby please you got it all wrong, just listen" song for the ages.]And if you like Prince, [and his whole Camille alter ego in particular] then you surely won't mind Sex With My Ex. Cause sometimes it's them exes that get us in the most trouble.
At the end of the day all credit must be given to the man who calls himself Ne-Yo. Finely tuned, well studied, and masterfully crafted, Because of You plays like an album no different from those produced within his genre, but thanks to sincere, relatable lyrics [all written or co-written by Ne-Yo], solid production, and vocals drenched in soul, echoing the blood, sweat, and tears present in the verses and hooks of each song, Ne-Yo stands out in the crowd. Marques Houston he is not. YO FELLAS!... Step your game up.
THOSE WHO LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE: Peep if you love you some Rod Temperton, Off the Wall and Thriller era Michael Jackson, Prince, Bobby's Brown's Don't Be Cruel, and late 80's to the mid 90's R&B. [You know that give me that honey love type shit]
Earlier...
And then, of course, there's this:
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