There was once a musical landscape that saw Grammy-winning crooner Ne-Yo (born Shaffer Smith) rule as king of the pen. Easily the most in-demand songwriter at the onset of his career and noughties overall, the R&B star was likened to the legendary Smokey Robinson for his ability to wield what seemed like unstoppable back to back hits (for stars of a spectrum of genres). As the lay of the land shifted over the last few years, so did the demand – an occurrence Smith exclusively tells That Grape Juice he is all too well aware.
After a bit of a break saw his last album, 2015’s ‘Non-Fiction,’ pencil in his lowest first week sales to date (click here to read more), the singer found himself on the same uphill climb his coveted pen once helped others out of. But, from where he stands with the success of a breakout NBC dance show, ‘World of Dance,’ and the all around critical acclaim surrounding the cuts lifted from his June 8th-due new album, ‘Good Man,’ the challenge is welcomed!
Look inside to read our exclusive sit-down with Ne-Yo as he discusses the “fight for relevancy,” the promise of hitting the road again, ‘World of Dance’ season 2, and so much more:
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