ne-yo

All posts tagged ne-yo

Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow

Posted by John on October 11, 2008
Posted in: commentary, personal, youtube. Tagged: , , , . 8 Comments

No, this won’t be a tribute to Ms Abdul, although wasn’t she supposed to have a record out right about now? If there was a good time for her to release some happy dance music, now would be the time to do so. In the face of hard economic times, there are two types of music that really seem to do well. Anything that reminds the listener of a better time (aka oldies) start popping up more, so expect an upswing in “80s and 90s weekends” on your local Adult Contemporary station. In addition, dance music seems to do better in these times, and I think that may be slowly working itself out.

Case in point: the dance opus “Blackout”. (Why does everything come back to Britney this week?) Yes, it’s the least successful Britney CD saleswise, and I’m sure that part of that has to do with leaks and downloads, but if you look at the single releases, they were collectively more successful than “In The Zone”. Britney’s only had one hit bigger than “Gimme More”, and that’s “Baby One More Time”, her only #1. What’s the common theme of the singles on “Blackout”? It’s dance music, bitch.

A month ago, I found myself at 3 am slightly intoxicated at Charlie’s in Chicago, hanging with a good friend who was on the make. After a year of living in Lansing, it was great to be in a big-city club playing big boy music, and I was just taking it in. The music was bangin’ all night, but when “Closer” came on, the place really lit up, and I found myself on the dancefloor by myself for the one and only time of the night. There was something so liberating about that 7 minutes or so of escapism through dance, and I reveled in it. Gone were the worries about the upcoming move, the pending unemployment, and the final cords being cut on a long-term relationship. In their place was joy, exhilaration, and celebration.

“And I just can’t bring myself away
But I don’t want to escape
I just can’t stop”

Dance music has power, and it’s that power that draws people to it in times of despair and crisis. The mental, emotional, and physical release can be healing.

Of course, I look at this as an American, where dance music seems to seep its way underground more often than not, but this is the same country that rallied behind “disco sucks” in the late 70s. I am often jealous of my counterparts in other countries who enjoy dance music in the mainstream on a regular basis. If all goes according to plan, though, the US will be experiencing a dance renaissance not seen since the mid 90s, when tracks from the likes of Real McCoy, C+C Music Factory, La Bouche, Haddaway, and Crystal Waters were ruling the airwaves. I leave you with a video that arguably represents that period better than any other.

Random Notes – 10/2/08

Posted by John on October 2, 2008
Posted in: music industry, personal, singles, songs. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

– Surprise, surprise…Janet has postponed a total of three shows on her “Rock With U” tour in order to recuperate from some super-secret malady that caused her to become “suddenly ill”. It’s been reported that she was only at the hospital for two hours, and then left. Shows in Montreal, Boston, and Philadelphia are supposed to be rescheduled, but does anyone want to take a guess on how poor the ticket sales were there? It can’t all be doom and gloom, though…tickets for a newly added show in Tulsa go on sale this week. I’m still waiting for the Denver show to pop up on the radar, but I have sources that have told me that I have a better chance of seeing Kylie in America than of seeing Janet in Denver. *sigh*

– New releases this week include full-lengths on TI, Jennifer Hudson, Robin Thicke, James Taylor, James Morrison, Faith Hill (Christmas), and Kellie Pickler (for you trashy AI fans). You’ll get reviews shortly on several of those titles. It’s also a singles bonanza this week, including new tunes from the Killers, Nickleback, John Legend, Ciara, and David Cook, whose “Light On” is a decent start for his new CD that’s dropping in November. In a world where “Human” exists, though, everything else is just sounding mediocre at best.

– Looking at Pop Radio, Rihanna is number one on airplay with “Disturbia”, while Ne-Yo’s “Closer” is number one in total audience, and Katy Perry picks up most increased airplay for “Hot N Cold”. Speaking of Rihanna, “Rehab” is officially the 72nd single off of “Good Girl Gone Bad”. Other songs going to pop radio this week include (finally) Jennifer Hudson’s “Spotlight”, and the brilliant “Love Lockdown” from Kanye West.

– Thanks to everyone for all of the well wishes as I’ve moved to Colorado. I am grateful for all of the support as I get settled and attempt to find a job. In the meantime, I’m making sure I enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts.

Movin’ On

Posted by John on September 24, 2008
Posted in: personal, songs. Tagged: , , . 3 Comments

I’ve alluded to it a few times in prior entries, but as of Sunday, I will once again be a resident of Colorado. As a result of this minor operation, I may be out of commission for a few days. However, music will still remain on my mind. Of course, there has to be a playlist for this move, and a few songs have already added themselves to the list, including the Killers’ new track “Human” (duh), Ne-Yo’s “So You Can Cry”, and “The World I Know” from Collective Soul. All of these have direct correlation to what’s going on currently, but I’d like some straight-ahead moving/driving music. Suggestions?

Son of MJ

Posted by John on September 16, 2008
Posted in: commentary, profile, reviews. Tagged: , , . 1 Comment

Ne-Yo, Ne-Yo, Ne-Yo…we had an idea that this would come out about you. Don’t ask me how I know…maybe it was just a glance you gave us, perhaps it’s the way you carry yourself, and possibly it’s even something you said that lead us to read into things a bit deeper than we should have. No matter, though. Apparently, it’s all true.

Ne-Yo was known as Shaffer Smith when he was born in 1979, despite what many websites will cite as 1982. (See…TMZ is good for SOMETHING!). Giving credit where it’s due, his mom really helped influence his musical direction, giving him albums like Stevie Wonder’s “Hotter Than July” and Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” to help him find his voice. Apparently, he’s a good study, since it’s becoming more and more clear that Ne-Yo’s got the goods to assume the “King of Pop” mantle.

My first “attraction” to Ne-Yo was in the form of Marques Houston’s “That Girl”, which was a pretty good indicator of what was to come. A minor pop and R&B hit, the single helped raise Marques’s profile a bit, but was just a slight breeze compared to the tornado that Ne-Yo was about to unleash. That force of nature was Mario’s “Let Me Love You”, which Ne-Yo co-wrote, and spent nine weeks at #1 at the beginning of 2005. (Has it really been that long?) From there, the hits kept coming…”Unfaithful”, “Irreplaceable”, “Gallery” were all hits in 2005 and 2006. Not as well known, though were all of the songs that he wrote for a minor boy band called Youngstown in 1999 and 2001. It’s probably safe to say that he can leave those tracks off of the resume now.

2006 also saw his first CD, “In My Own Words”, released, which resulted in his first number one album, along with the #1 single “So Sick”, #7 “Sexy Love”, and #15 “When You’re Mad”. He repeated the CD feat in 2007 with “Because of You”, supported by the #2 single “Because of You”. While this record didn’t sell quite as many copies as the first one (1 million vs 1.6 million in the US alone), that’s still not a bad chart record. His profile kept rising, though, because of the writing and production that he was doing for other folks, including top 10 records with Rihanna, Fabulous and Plies. And don’t forget his appearances in Stomp the Yard and Save the Last Dance 2 (oh wait…I already have).

To say that expectations are high for “Year of the Gentleman” is to be way too obvious. At this point in an artist’s career, you’re either going to have the massive breakthrough, or you’re going to slowly slide off into oblivion (can you say Tevin Campbell?). Single #1 sure didn’t get off to a strong start…”Closer” languished for quite a while, only got as high as #21 on the R&B chart, and was already starting to slip down the Hot 100 when a strange thing happened. Buy.com started promoting the release of his CD “Year of the Gentleman”, which had already been pushed back due to the seemingly dead single, and they did it by using a clip of “Closer”. For those of you who haven’t seen the video, it’s one of the most visually striking clips of this year, simply using shades of black and white, and a whole lot of dancing (by Ne-Yo) and gyrating (by a lot of women). In what I would call a very rare occurrence, the single not only stopped it slide, but began climbing again, and has gotten as high as #8 on the pop chart. There’s a good chance that within two weeks, the song will be the number one record at pop radio. With hindsight, I would say that the choice to push back the CD was a pretty wise one. Look for it to be his third straight #1 debut.

So what do I think of it? Well, I almost called this entry “Son of ‘Dangerous'”, because I really feel like this record resembles Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” in a lot of ways. There’s a diversity here that some R&B artists attempt, but never pull off convincingly. Ne-Yo gets it, though. A song like “Back To What You Know” incorporates an acoustic guitar that wouldn’t be out of place on a Daughtry record, but it never loses Ne-Yo’s personality, with a shuffling beat that keeps it grounded. Anyone hear shades of “Dirty Diana” in this one? Stand out track “Fade Into the Background” grabs a beat similar to “Blood on the Dancefloor”, and “Nobody” is pre-“Thriller” Michael at its best.

So why the comparison to “Dangerous”, if all of the songs cited sound like tracks from other albums? Well, in my opinion, “Dangerous” did what “Thriller” never did, and that was to show us a consistent picture of MJ. “Year” does the same thing for Ne-Yo, without the heightened expectation of how you follow up a historic record like “Thriller”. As a result, so much of this record comes off as effortless, and I have no doubt that there will be at least five singles off the disc.

Unfortunately, one of the current singles is heard in a different form on “Year”. “Single”, currently climbing the pop charts with New Kids, is in a non-NKOTB form here, and (am I really going to say this?) it suffers because of the omission. The beefed-up harmonies and (shoot me now) Donnie Wahlburg’s rap at the beginning actually works, but in the Ne-Yo only version, the replacements just fall flat. Also not up to par is “Stop This World”, which comes off kind of sappy, like MJ’s “Will You Be There”. As a whole, though, this is Ne-Yo’s most cohesive record, and it’s going to get a lot of play on my iPod in the next few weeks. If he’s positioning himself for Michael Jackson’s throne, it won’t be long before the coronation occurs.

Random Notes

Posted by John on September 14, 2008
Posted in: commentary, music industry, upcoming. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

– It looks like Lady GaGa’s label has finally decided to properly work her to Top 40 Radio, as the single is now officially being worked this week. Bad move on their part…they had great momentum after her “So You Think You Can Dance” appearance, so why the delay? Probably because the album is dropping next month. Well, at least they can console themselves with a #8 debut in Canada last month, and a #12 debut in Australia this month. That makes it all okay, right?

[BTW…the infamous track 8 that’s changing from territory to territory will be “Starstruck” in the U.S., featuring Flo Rida. Say it isn’t so, LG! And what about the NKOTB duet? You’d think she would be able to include that as well.]

– New releases this week feature Ne-Yo (yes…the profile is coming in the next 24 hours), Darius Rucker (of Hootie fame) and sixth-place Idol contestant Kristy Lee Cook with their country music debuts, a cool EP of remixed Cure singles leading up to their new full-length, and Marc Broussard, who is opening for Sara Bareilles at the Denver show I’m seeing next month. There’s even a duet with Sara called “Why Should She Wait”. However, the most notable release, at least from a cover stand point, is Nelly. I think he’s going for the gay porn look with the cover of his new CD, “Brass Knuckles”. Damn, Nelly…you signed as an exclusive to a porn studio yet?

– I’d like to think that Reuters and Billboard checked out my piece on modern R&B a few weeks ago, but I have a feeling they may have done some of their own work. Either way, it’s good to see an acknowledgment of how R&B is becoming a mainstream influence for the first time in a long time. I will say, however, that some people would argue that what we’re calling R&B is really just a more soulful pop sound, and I don’t know that I would argue with that. But as long as the artists still identify with R&B, and R&B stations are playing them, then who am I to argue?

Also check out a quick article about UK artists crossing over. It’s great that folks like Natasha and Leona can make the jump, but remember that there are dozens of non-starters for every one that makes it. (Liberty X, I’m looking at all five of you!)

How R&B Got Its Groove Back

Posted by John on September 1, 2008
Posted in: commentary, songs. Tagged: , , , , , . 5 Comments

Remember when R&B didn’t have to have “hip-hop” in front of it to be a hit?
Remember when R&B was something you could dance to instead of “groove” to?
Remember when R&B was fun?
Me too. And it’s back, y’all.

There is a palpable sea change going on in R&B, and it’s long overdue. R&B really got stagnant for a while, where it was the exception rather than the rule to cross over. It has gone from providing a compliment to the hottest rap tracks, to creating beats and melodies that will be sampled by rappers 20 years from now to acknowledge the classics that they are. While we listen, it is evolving at a fast and furious pace, catching a moment in time where people are hungry for something new. Those folks who aren’t stuck in tradition are heeding that demand, and the public seems to be eating it up.

-Case in point…Ne-Yo. You’ll get that feature article I promised soon enough, but this was pressing in my mind. Ne-Yo is single-handedly helping R&B get its groove back. And he’s not only doing it on his own records. Sure, “Closer” is a modern classic, and “Miss Independent” is already racing up the R&B chart, but take a look at last week’s #10 record from Jennifer Hudson, “Spotlight”. Who wrote that? Ne-Yo. Not so long ago, an anthem like that was either hip-hop inflected (like a Mary J. joint with Missy on the backup), or it was a quiet storm standard. Instead, Ne-Yo infuses the track with a more upbeat, melodic approach that helps it stand up to Hudson’s brilliant delivery, while still staying away from club banger territory. On top of that, it also lends itself perfectly to remixes (check the Moto Blanco Club Mix if you have any questions).

-Robin Thicke recently dropped some “Magic” on the R&B charts. Have y’all checked this out? Brilliant, I tell ya. For a guy who came to prominence on “Lost Without U”, one of the finest ballads of the 21st century so far, this is a great change of pace, and proves he’s listening to the direction that music is moving. The disco-era strings, Earth, Wind and Fire-inspired horns, and a deceptively sparse beat all come together to create their own form of magic. On top of that, Thicke’s delivery just simmers over that potent combination. [For an extra treat, check out the remix with Mary J. Blige, who he will be touring with this fall.]

-I’ve already raved a bit about it, but Solange’s “Sandcastle Disco” should not be slept on. It’s a grower, not a shower, but when you give it a chance, you’ll hear a summer theme that is light years away from some of the cookie cutter tracks Beyonce pads her records with. I will drop it, but she deserves to be mentioned here. [Chris Brown probably does, too, but it’s everywhere at the moment, and doesn’t need the additional promotion.]

-Out of all of the examples I can provide, none is as surprising as John Legend’s “Green Light” with Andre 3000. This track comes out of nowhere on some jangling synth riffs, an epileptic beat in the 140 BPM range, and a guest rap that actually belongs on the track, rather than one that is pasted in well after the track is deemed finished. I don’t know if this is John’s true direction, or if some of Kanye’s diverse influence is rubbing off, but it’s definitely hot.