Album- R.E.D
Artist- Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo is one of the reigning kings of the RnB pop scene,
with 8 top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and a list of big collaborations
to his name. The singer is also great in terms of his musical creativity, as he
is also known as a talented songwriter and producer for a plethora of other
artists. R.E.D, his fifth studio album, serves as a sort of comeback for the
singer and finds him returning to form after achieving his first top ten in
four years. But is Realizing Every Dream (R.E.D) really the dream record that
Ne-Yo should be producing?
Track 1- Cracks in Mr
Perfect
At one point being the album’s title track, the opening
number is a funky, mid tempo RnB jam that is lyrically fast paced and nicely
gives the singer this charismatic quality. The songs lyrical content shows a
maturity for the singer as he bemoans the flip side of fame, whilst also
speaking of unprotected sex in the second verse. The track taps into the idea
of fame simply but powerfully, and the singer gives us a smooth vocal
performance that is just quite light and gives the song this nice, chilled
atmosphere. With the steady back beat and twangy guitar rhythms, the production
of the song is equally smooth and fined tuned, with the background vocals
adding an extra chilled layer to the music to makes this a nice, soft opening
to the record.
3.5/5
Track 2- Lazy Love
The records lead single caters to fans of Ne-Yo’s RnB work,
as this is a smooth slow jam that is lyrically and vocally finds the singer in
a very sensual state. This is because lyrically the track is based in the idea
of this languid desire that means that a couple state in bed a lot, and finds
the singer giving us a silky vocal performance that brings out the desire of
the lyrics very powerfully. The sonorous synth bass line of the track is simple
but powerful, creating a smooth tone the track that makes this a more
prominently sensual track, and so whilst it doesn’t feel the most original
track in the world, this song works well in the showcasing Ne-Yo at his RnB
best.
3.5/5
Track 3- Let Me Love
You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)
Second single Let Me Love You caters more to a dance and pop
based, mainstream audience and finds the singer collaborating lyrically with
current music star Sia. Described by the singer as going beyond the realm of
just a relationship between a man and a woman, the song lyrically finds the
singer helping this girl to love both herself and another again as he can see
that she is fragile and has been hurt in the past. The lyrics feel simple but
passionate, and are heightened by the smooth and charismatic quality of the
singers vocals. Furthermore, the synth pop and dance pop vibrancy of the track
nicely contrasts with the sweetness of the lyrics in regards to the forceful
quality of the sound, and so this is a great pop tune that deserves it’s
Billboard top ten placing and seemingly revitalising power for Ne-Yo’s solo
career.
4/5
Track 4- Miss Right
Continuing with the synth pop sound of the previous track,
Miss Right is another collaboration with Swedish producers Stargate and is a
sweet mid tempo pop song. Lyrically the track is all about how this woman is so
right for Ne-Yo and exudes this irresistible essence. The lyrics have a
charismatic quality that is highlight by the smooth and simple quality of the
vocal performance, but the lyrics do feel a bit stereotypical, and the chorus
lacks the attention grabbing hook that the singer can deliver. Stargate give us
a simple sound with the production being based in this light and simple synth
beats and handclapping beats that make the song have a groovy sound, but the
breathing of the background vocals just sounds annoying, and on the whole this
song just lacks originality and feels too bland.
2.5/5
Track 5- Jealous
With a tight RnB groove, Jealous is another mid tempo
offering from the singer that is once again about a girl. This time the singer
speaks of his jealousy because he is captivated by this woman, but nobody can
love her the way that he does. The concept is interesting but the lyrics don’t
have that catchy quality that really captivates the listener, with the song
perhaps just being too soft for us to believe that he is jealous. The vocal
performance is good in the way that it shows off the singers range and utilises
his falsetto towards the end, whilst the production of the track is this simple
RnB rhythm that makes this another good if unoriginal RnB jam.
3/5
Track 6- Don’t Make
Em Like You (featuring Wiz Khalifa)
Lyrically this track is very much summed up within the title
as the singer tells us of his appreciation for this woman who he just loves and
thinks that no other girls compare to. The statement is nothing you wouldn’t
expect from an RnB artist and so loses its appeal because of this, with the
smooth charismatic tone of the singer’s vocals doing nothing to save the track.
The only interesting thing about the song is the production with the snappy
beats and the slight Motown feel of the sound, but overall this is just a
simple song that is too stereotypical and bland, with guest feature Wiz Khalifa
adding nothing to the song.
2/5
Track 7- Be the One
Be the One takes us back to more of a synth orientated,
mainstream pop sound. Bringing his charismatic persona to the forefront, Be the
One focuses on Ne-Yo asking this girl too let him be the guy for her, because
he doesn’t think that this guy has given her the true love that she deserves.
The message is both sweet and passionate, but perhaps lacks powerful as it
feels a bit like a rehash of Let Me Love You. The smoothness of the singers
vocals give a great energy to the track, with the layering of his vocals
providing a light tone to the bridge that makes for a strong finish to the
track. The simple quality of the production with the steady back beat and light
synths is cool and creates a chilled rhythm that make this a nice song to sit
and listen to, even if it lacks a bit of originality.
3.5/5
Track 8- Stress
Reliever
Whilst the last track may have been quite a sweet offering,
Stress Reliever is much more of a mature offering that switches things back to
more of an RnB orientated sound. The song lyrically focuses on the singers
favourite sex position and how this girl knows what he likes, theme that sounds
a bit weird when condensed like this, but ultimately being written with this
great sensual energy, even though the metaphors are a bit is it right to listen
to this and also slightly egotistical in a way. The singers smooth vocals and
the way he slowly stresses the lyrics makes the song have this sensual tone
that is also helped by the use of vocal layering and Auto Tune that gives the
song this slightly lighter quality that makes us believe this really is a song
that lives up to its title. The snappy RnB beats are simple and with the
twinkling piano in places, this is smooth jam that will act as another good
bedroom tune from Ne-Yo.
3.5/5
Track 9- She Is
(featuring Tim McGraw)
Switching genres again, She Is is a track that is influenced
by country music and continues with the mellow energy of the previous track. Ne
Yo sings and McGraw singing about this girl who has got them caught up in this
world and how she has this power that no one else has; they can love her. The
sweetness but almost antagonistic quality of the lyrics are cool, and in terms
of the production the lyrics are smartly paired with a sound that is simple
acoustic guitar that add vulnerability and mellowness to the music. Vocally
both singers give us performances that are light and cute and which meld
together well, and so whilst this is by no means a great melding of the RnB and
country music worlds, it is a track that works and sounds good and also sounds
like a record that belongs on this album.
3.5/5
Track 10- Carry On
(Her Letter to Him)
Continuing with the ballad quality of the previous track,
Carry On is a powerful song that acts as an open letter to a lover. The lyrics
of the song focus on Ne-Yo telling his lover that now she has found someone new
she can just carry on as he will be better without her (although the bracketed
sub title suggests that we are meant to see this as Ne-Yo singing out a letter
from a former lover). The simple, almost brutal quality of the track makes the
lyrical content catchier, with the ‘oh hoo’ hook being sweet vocal moments that
add further appeal to the track. The background vocals and simple drumbeat
rhythms of the production give the song a slight pop rock feel that is nicely
understated and doesn’t try to be too overbearing on the listener, and with
Ne-Yo giving us a smooth and strong yet reserved vocal, Carry On shows
perfectly how you can brush off an ex without going crazy.
3.5/5
Track 11- Forever Now
Released as the records second international single, Forever
Now is another up tempo dance and synth pop track that is a little similar to
Let Me Love You, but is a little harsher in sound and more vocally and
lyrically fragile. The song finds Ne-Yo singing about the plans he made with
this girl who has left him and is with another, and now he just wonders what he
is going to do after they made all these plans to be together forever. The
message is structured in a good way, and with his smooth RnB tones Ne-Yo gives
us a song that feels both strong and yet fragile, as there is this little catch
in his voice. The punchy dance beats and vibrant synths give a nice sound to
this track, but as a whole this song just feels like too much of a simple pop
track to be played in a club and lacks the fire power of Let Me Love You, with
a major issue being too much lyrical repetition.
2.5/5
Track 12- Shut Me
Down
With a simple piano melody as its base, Shut Me Down is an
up tempo pop tuna that has a light tone about it that is a bit infectious. Here
Ne-Yo sings about how this girl keeps shutting him down even though he is
trying to woo her and is in love with her. The message is sweet but once again
this is a song that suffers from lyrical repetition, making it seem as if Ne-Yo
ran out of ideas in the writing and recording process. The track is good in
terms of the light tone of the singers vocals, with the richness of his voice
giving the song this edge of sincerity. And although the production is a bit of
a typical pop sound, the moody but light synths and vibrant electro rhythms
give the track a fun tone that elevates the songs message, and so this is less of
a bland pop tune than the last track.
3/5
Track 13-
Unconditional
Closing track Unconditional follows the same lyrical ideas
as Let Me Love You, as Ne-Yo sings to this girl of how he will do anything for
her, because his love is unconditional. The message is another sweet song that
is given gravitas by the lilting tone of the singers vocals, with the range
that he employs giving a vibrancy to the track that makes this feel like a
sincere track. Blending clattering dance beats with stirring strings and more
organic instruments in the production creates a nice, varied and positive sound
to the track that acts as a nice sound for the lyrics to have more of a
powerful impact on the listener, with this track just being an all-round nice
love song to finish the record with.
3.5/5
Final Review
R.E.D is a solid effort from Ne-Yo that sees him nicely
return to his RnB roots whilst still mixing it up with pop and soul to give
varied audience appeal to the album. The singers vocals are always smooth and
for the most part charismatic, whilst each song collectively really come
together on the albumt o give a cohesive collection. However, R.E.D does have
it’s problems, as on quite a few occasions the lyrical content has a bland
quality in the way that it feels like we are listening to things we have heard
before, whilst some songs are produced in a way that just feels commercial and
not exciting. Let Me Love You definitely deserves its success, but as for the
rest of the album, it seems Ne-Yo still has a way to go before he regains his
former music glory.
5.5/10
Best Track- Let Me
Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)
Worst Track- Don’t
Make Em Like You (featuring Wiz Khalifa)
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