Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Ne.Yo- R.E.D Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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