From “In My Own Words” to “Because of You,” Ne-Yo is back with his third masterpiece, “Year of The Gentlemen.”
Released on September 16, 2008, YOTG has already reached the peak of US Billboard R&B Album Charts, number two in Billboard Top 200 and it has received good professional reviews everywhere.
Rolling Stone hands out 4 out of 5 stars, Los Angeles Times at 4 and a half and Newsday gave it a rating of A-.
YOTG has twelve cuts:
1 "Closer" (3:54)
2 "Nobody" (3:07)
3 "Single" (4:18)
4 "Mad" (4:15)
5 "Miss Independent" (3:52)
6 "Why Does She Stay" (4:33)
7 "Fade into the Background" (3:18)
8 "So You Can Cry" (4:18)
9 "Part of the List" (4:10)
10 "Back to What You Know" (4:10)
11 "Lie to Me" (4:27)
12 "Stop This World" (4:24)
All these songs are about LOVE. The concept seems old school but it turns out, this is the type of stuffs I like about Ne-yo. He's fond of writing about love, letting go, heartbreaks and all that cheesiness but I never feel any traces of annoyance when listening to him.
Ne-yo is undeniably a great singer-songwriter who can dig deeper into the walls of my emotions and he has the ability to convert these emotions into a soulful melody. I am aware Ne-yo has taken a different route for YOTG and he's no longer making R&B traditional sounds here yet the album still got the power of a suave vocalist and the spunk of a good storyteller.
There are three stand-out singles right after I listened to the album. These are Track 3, 4 and 5. As I see it, these three tracks has brought back the niche I am expecting from Ne-yo. The mood intensity while listening to these singles is packed with cheesy but nice reflections.
Listening to Track 3: Single is like embracing a soft pillow in front of you. The beat is not irritating to the ears and Ne-yo's voice seems sugary and cool. Anyone can absolutely listen to this song anytime and anywhere. The lyrics is also a heartfelt especially when he sung:
“Pretty mama if you're single, single,| You don’t gotta be alone tonight.| So while the DJ play this single, single,| Just pretend that I’m your man tonight.”
It knocks me off my feet the first time I heard the intro of Mad (Track 4). The song is about a couple who's fighting for something with no plausible reasons at all. Personally, Ne-yo jumpstarts this song to success!
Whoever you are, you can relate with its simple narration and the rhythm all throughout the song is simply a bliss. This is my number one favorite pick in the album and I heard Ne-yo is releasing a music video for this song. Geez, I can't wait any longer!
Miss Independent (Track 5) is a smooth and upbeat single. Listening to it can make you dance and just think about your special someone. In fact, this is the second released single from the album and its music video premiered on August 21, 2008. The concept of the music video is a real fun. There are some cool dance moves and a lot of popular names in there. After listening to this song, you will understand why you are always attracted to miss independent.
Ne-Yo: Miss Independent Music Video
Aside from my Top 3 personal picks, “Closer (Track 1),” “Fade into the Background (Track 7)” and “Stop This World (Track 12)” are also a must-listen.
Overall, Ne-yo's YOTG is a new height of refreshing tracks. I'm more impressed with Ne-yo's “Because of You” but “YEAR OF THE GENTLEMEN” can still stand on its own.
Photo courtesy of:
www.celebritybug.blogspot.com
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