Ne-Yo - Because Of You (2007)
Because Of You by Ne-Yo
Biography
Shaffer Chimere Smith (October 1982), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American R&B and pop singer-songwriter and occasional rapper. He is of Afro-Asian (African American and Chinese American) heritage.
Ne-Yo’s debut album, In My Own Words, was released in early 2006 through Def Jam Recordings, and debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling over 301,000 copies in the first week and certified platinum. During the same week, Ne-Yo’s Stargate-produced second single “So Sick” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Ne-Yo is as famous for his songwriting as for his singing, writing such songs as Rihanna’s top ten hit “Unfaithful”, Mario’s “Let Me Love You”, Mario Vazquez’s “Gallery”, Paula DeAnda’s “Walk Away (Remember Me)”, and Beyonc?’s Billboard Hot 100 ten-week number-one hit “Irreplaceable”.
His second album, Because of You, was released on May 1, 2007. The first single from the platinum-selling album was “Because of You“. He has also said that he has written songs for Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Corbin Bleu, and Enrique Iglesias for their upcoming albums. Smith also has stated that he will write songs for Craig David, Usher, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis, and he recently confirmed that he has been contacted by producer will.i.am to work on Michael Jackson’s upcoming album.
Ne-Yo opened a recording studio called Carrington House and started his own label, Compound Entertainment, in 2007; Paula Campbell, Sixx John, and Shanell are now associated with Compound.
In December 2007, Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls performed at a fundraising concert for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. It has also been confirmed that he will be collaborating with Lindsay Lohan on new material. He is also Collaborating with Ciara on new material for her new album “Fantasy Ride” due out on September.
About the Album “Because Of You“
Last year, no one was on the lookout for Ne-Yo or his debut album, In My Own Words. Even those who were familiar with Shaffer Smith and his songwriting abilities had no inkling of his talents until “So Sick” became a hit, and even the monster single didn’t indicate how strong his album would be. But one year later, Ne-Yo’s sophomore effort is arguably the one of most anticipated R&B releases of the year.
Unfortunately, anticipation is often the enemy of the talented. Like many artists and albums before him, Ne-Yo had to push Because of You’s release forward because the first single and title track was prematurely leaked onto the internet and radio. One year is already a short span to work on an album, and Ne-Yo had to shorten that period to take advantage of the massive buzz surrounding his album’s release. Would the rushed deadline mean reduced quality?
When it comes to Ne-Yo, quality really isn’t an issue. As an A-list songwriter, he has no trouble scripting hot songs, especially ballads. But his songwriting skills carry over into every aspect of his music. He knows the exact right way to sing his songs in order to convincingly tell the story in the lyrics, and he recruits producers who specialize in mid-tempo beats that perfectly accent his songs. In other words, Ne-Yo did exactly what he does best and created another hit album with Because of You.
By now, everyone has heard “Because of You,” the Stargate production that opens the album. Stargate, the Norwegian duo behind Ne-Yo’s previous hits “So Sick” and “Sexy Love,” outdid themselves here. Though the beat has a simple meter and melody, it’s as hot as anything to come out in ‘07. The duo also helms the final track, “Go On Girl,” a bittersweet tale about a good guy who is involved with a bad girl.
As expected, Ne-Yo’s ballads are perfect. “Angel” and “Make It Work” are well constructed, yet sweet and sincere. Jennifer Hudson, fresh off her Academy Award-winning performance in Dreamgirls, teams up with Ne-Yo on “Leaving Tonight;” as strong as the conversational dialogue is on its own, Hudson’s part jumpstarts her music career in as big a way as she did her acting career. Outside of the ballads, “Crazy” with Jay-Z and “Can We Chill” are big jams that are just waiting for summer airplay.
As busy as he was after releasing In My Own Words, between touring and writing hits like Beyonc?’s “Irreplaceable” and Rihanna’s “Unfaithful,” Ne-Yo still managed to get in the studio and drop another album in just a year. And guess what? The album is every bit as good as his debut. Ne-Yo may have a long way to go before being able to take the title of “King of R&B,” but he’s certainly one of the crown princes.
Because Of You
Because Of You album tracklists are:
03 Can We Chill
04 Do You
05 Addicted
06 Leaving Tonight (feat. Jennifer Hudson)
09 Angel
10 Make It Work
11 Say It
12 Go On Girl
Buy the CD album Because Of You
Full Mp3 Downloads Because Of You
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