"Besides the fact that his songs are catchy and soulful, I love the fact that they’re so anti-gangsta."- Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo on Ne-Yo
The last of a dying breed?
TWELVE/BECAUSE OF YOU/NE-YO
Chris Brown, Usher, Omarion, Bobby Valentino, Lloyd, Mario, Marques Houston, The Dream, T-Pain, Trey Songz, Jaheim; I know I know, it's hard to keep up with the male R&B game; and just as hard to separate the good from the bad, the bright from the trite, and to accept ear grooving single candy that lies at the top or in the middle of an otherwise weak and tire Lothario retread. But sometimes you got to. You just have to. Sometimes an artist deserves to be heard, no matter how crowded the game may be, and this year Ne-Yo was that artist. Press play on his latest disc and sit back. Track one, lead single Because of You, a track that 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 an 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 Shaffer Chimere Smith, the talented singer/songwriter - GASP! -known to you and me as 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.
KEY TRACKS: Because of You/Can We Chill/Say It
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