It seems R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo, has caught the mixtape bug, like contemporaries Chris Brown and Trey Songz. In addition to a role in the upcoming film ‘Redtails’, Ne-Yo plans to release the free set of music, entitled ‘101’, before  his fifth studio album hits shelves this Fall.

Check out details below…

(more…)

2005 saw R&B crooner Ne-Yo burst onto the music scene – as an artist. Previously known as a songwriter (having co-penned Mario‘s ‘Let Me Love You’, which stayed at the top of the Billboard for 9 weeks), he released his first album, ‘In My Own Words’, to wide critical and commercial acclaim. As such,  the LP’s final single, ‘Sexy Love’, will make the object of this week’s From The Vault.

A global summer hit, ‘Love’ established Ne-Yo as a prolific and viable act after the touchdown that was ‘So Sick’, his breakthrough single. Indeed, as history has proven with acts such as Lil Mama, Mims and the underrated Amerie; it seems to be quite the task to sustain as much as half the momentum after a smash a la ‘So Sick’.

On the song and its accompanying visual, Ne-Yo is addicted to his lady that he doesn’t care about anything that doesn’t revolve around the two of them.

Mr. Smith delivers, with the song, smooth high-pitched vocals (a nod to his idol Michael Jackson) over a then-fresh sounding production courtesy of Stargate (who in 2006 were still seen as up-and-comers in the U.S. Fast forward 4 years and they are Stateside Pop royalty – a title they’ve long held everywhere else.)

With new material on the way and after the disappointment that was ‘Libra Scale’, his fourth LP, we seriously hope the Grammy winning singer-songwriter has retrieved his mojo. For, he is among the better talents, alongside Chris Brown and Ciara, to have emerged from the music and entertainment scene since the mid 00’s.

Your thoughts?

Following the commercial disappointment that was 2010’s ‘Libra Scale‘, Ne-Yo is hoping to change the approach to his next release due this fall.  The singer recently sat down with VIBE magazine to discuss exactly what those changes would be.

See what songwriter had to say after the jump:

(more…)

Once a dominant force, Ashanti‘s star – love her or loathe her – has undeniably dimmed over the years.

Hoping to turn the tide, the Muli-Platinum selling singer is gearing up for the release of her 5th studio album – due later this year. Hence, so as to wet the apetite of fans, the 30 year old stopped by US Weekly‘s offices this week, answering fans questions about the project.

Check out what she had to say after the jump…

(more…)

2010 was a year of ups and downs for Grammy Award-winning hitmaker Ne-Yo. The singer welcomed a daughter and scored a #1 single in the UK with ‘Beautiful Monster’ but also had to endure lackluster sales with his most recent album, ‘Libra Scale’.

In an exclusive chat with That Grape Juice, Ne-Yo addressed several points including why his album stalled on the charts and the musical direction of his next studio effort. The ever-opinionated artist also openly shared his thoughts on Usher’s upcoming “Revolutionary Pop” album, writing songs for Beyonce’s new project as well as working with Jennifer Hudson.

Additionally, Ne-Yo discussed his distaste for “lazy” singers who overuse auto-tune and his thoughts on Rihanna’s vocal ability in relation to that trend.

Check out the full interview below:

Ne-Yo Shouts Out That Grape Juice

(more…)

Ciara and Ne-Yo attended the Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks game last evening. The match took place in Madison Square Garden in New York. Peep more images below:

What do you think of the pics?

Ne-Yo performed a full concert in Rotterdam, Netherlands last evening. The singer/songwriter, who is currently working on a new album, delivered renditions of his biggest hits including ‘Closer’,‘Sexy Love’ and more. See more images below:

What do you think of the pics?

Jennifer Hudson is ready to release her long-awaited sophomore album. ‘I Remember Me’ follows her Grammy Award-winning debut LP, ‘Jennifer Hudson’, and will hit stores on March 22nd.

The 1st single from the project, ‘Where You At’, was written and produced by R. Kelly and is expected to premiere on radio on January 24th. Other contributors to the album include Ryan Tedder, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Rich Harrison, Ne-Yo and Stargate.

Listen to a snippet of Hudson’s ‘Where You At’ below:

(more…)

Ne-Yo hit the stage on ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ to welcome the new year. The singer/songwriter performed a rendition of ‘One In A Million‘ from his ‘Libra Scale’. Check out his performance below:

(more…)

While 2010 brought much joy for R&B star Ne-Yo (namely the birth of his daughter), the year alo carried with it commercial disappointment. Indeed, after countless delays and non-charting singles, the 31 year old’s ‘Libra Scale’ LP went on to become the worst-selling of his otherwise successful career.

Reflecting on the sales in a recent interview with the BBC, the singer-songwriter admitted that the album was not his best, why he felt it tanked, and what his immediate plans are following the project.

Full story after the jump…

(more…)

Will.i.am isn’t thee only artist who doesn’t want anything to do with Michael Jackson’s new ‘Michael’ album. Ne-Yo, who worked with the late King of Pop shortly before his death, revealed to TMZ that he won’t be listing to the LP and that he’ll “stick to old Mike”.

See what Ne-Yo had to say below:

(more…)

The CW Detroit Gossip Girls caught up with Ne-Yo recently for a very insightful interview. The opinionated singer/songwriter revealed that he is in fact quite disappointed by the first week sales of his ‘Libra Scale’ LP which entered the charts at #8 with just over 117k copies sold.

Additionally, Ne-Yo used the opportunity to talk about his experiences of being a new father. Peep the footage and transcript below via Necole Bitchie:

(more…)