In 2008, as the world as a whole was slowly but surely turning into a Euro Dance fest, Ne-Yo blessed us with some of his best work.

Today’s From The Vault pick comes in the form of the singer-songwriter’s glorious single, ‘Closer.’

Released as the first offering from the artist’s third LP ‘Year Of The Gentleman,’ ‘Closer’ was produced by mighty Norwegian production maestros Stargate – with whom Ne-Yo had scored many hits, not only for himself but also for other acts.

A potent fusion between Dance-Pop and R&B, we like to think of this song as the reference to what a potential late 00’s Michael Jackson album should have sounded like.

The song became a hit globally, peaking at #7 in the US and topping the charts in the UK. It is Ne-Yo’s most successful solo single in Europe and was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal at the 51st Grammy Awards which were held in February 2009.

Melina Matsoukas directed the simple yet efficient video which presented a suited-up Ne-Yo surrounded by sharply-dressed female dancers in front of various pulsating black and white backgrounds.

The visual was nominated at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Dancing in a Video but lost to the Pussycat Dolls’ ‘When I Grow Up’.

************

While his wins are undeniable and can’t be erased by time, we miss seeing Ne-Yo take residence at the top of the charts.

Because while it’s fantastic seeing Chris Brown and Bruno Mars waving the flag for male R&B, we feel the world could benefit from Ne-Yo’s brand of classic R&B with a modern twist that he brought along with him when he first burst onto the scene 15 years ago.

With all of that being said, we salute this musician who gave the genre some of its most glorious moments in recent years.

Your thoughts?