Ne-YoBecause of You
Ne-Yo, like his phonetically-similar counterpart ("Neo" from The Matrix), is "The One"--or at least he tries earnestly to climb to such heights. In the young crooner's case, "The One" is Michael Jackson, circa Off The Wall and Thriller. Numerous R&B artists, from golden-throated lothario Usher to the current King of Pop, Justin Timberlake, have taken great strides in expanding on MJ's legacy. And while Ne-Yo may not be a household name like the two aforementioned superstars (yet), his sophomore album Because of You shines just as vibrantly.
Since 2005's "So Sick" Ne-Yo has become a staple in R&B's dietary need for effortless hooks and rapid-fire melodies. To further stake his claim as a prodigious talent he penned some of the strongest R&B singles of the past few years, Rihanna's "Unfaithful" and Beyonce's "Irreplaceable." His ability to stick and move through various arrangements is apparent on Because of You. "Say It" is almost ramshackle in its arrangement, with plucked strings and panting breaths dipping in and out of the mix. All the while Ne-Yo stays flawlessly on point, never succumbing to geeking out (read: oversinging) over the minimal backdrop.
The Usher-esque "Ain't Thinking About You" falls into the same category as "Say It," but with a more excitable backbeat. The greatest attribute Ne-Yo has is his knowledge of when to keep reserved ("Because of You"'s assured strut) and when to boil over into wonderful excess (the fiery funk of "Addicted"). Even when he unleashes the freak within him ("Sex With My Ex") it's done tastefully, unlike the literal schoolyard bleating of lesser artists like Lloyd or the boys of Pretty Ricky.
Executive Producer Jay-Z chimes in for a torch-passing intro on "Crazy," and his verse proves more than any criticism could ever hope to do. Ne-Yo doesn't need any star-studded collabos to pull weight; he can hold court like Michael Jordan (another MJ) in his prime. No beat can tame him, no star can outshine him.
he need surgery.so it can get even.