- Artist
- Ne-Yo
- Label
- Mercury
- Release date
- 30th April 2007
- Genre
- R&B
Hotly-tipped R&B youngster proves form with excellent second album.
Ne-Yo's arrival on a stagnating R&B scene in 2006 was heralded misleadingly at first, thanks to the runaway success of breakthrough single I'm Sick. While representing his individual talents, the song was certainly an attempt by label Def Jam to break charts rather than showcase his full abilities. However, the album it came from - In My Own Words - stood as one of the standout recordings of the year, mainly due to his ability to interpret existing R&B staples and add a degree of lyrical and musical maturity lacking elsewhere.
This, his sophomore album, builds on the templates taken to heart by the likes of Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé (whose Irreplacable was penned by Ne-Yo) and effortlessly melds genuine soul - and we're talking the kind of gorgeous sentiments and harmonies that shaped the Mouseketeer's return to form and which filters from such illustrious modern soul benchmarks as, dare we say it, mid-Eighties Michael Jackson - with plenty of originality. Short pop songs stacked with fresh ideas make up Because Of You, proving Ne-Yo's skills as a songwriter and artist. Standout tracks such as That's What It Does, Leaving Tonight and Ain't Thinking About You are smooth and sentimental, make no mistake - don't come here if you're after anything too edgy and aggressive - but prove that he is developing as a real maestro.
