The ’00s saw an interesting trend in R&B music. The genre swerved into the Pop music lane, and one of the best results of that shift was Ne-Yo’s rise as one of the genres premier songwriters. Since R. Kelly, there wasn’t anyone like him jumping from one popular R&B artist to other more popular R&B artists. From Mario, Ciara, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Keri Hilson, and Chrisette Michele, Ne-Yo just racked his songwriters, while simultaneously selling Platinum and putting out hit singles.
It’s an amazing feat having a 6-year career and already being on a 5th album. R.E.D. (Realizing Every Dream) is a comeback to smooth R&B Ne-Yo. Prior to his shift in gears with Libra Scale, Ne-Yo’s strength was in deep cuts with a strong focus on romance. Out of R.E.D.’s 14-song set, there are only two songs about scorned love. Even at its most literal, the album shines through as a huge love letter. The opening track, “Cracks In Mr. Perfect,” focuses on love, where Ne-Yo focuses on his imperfections by telling us that “…in the grand scheme of things it’s our imperfections that truly make us perfect.” The majority of the album helms production by Shea Taylor and StarGate, giving R.E.D. a tight cohesion not seen by Ne-Yo since Year of the Gentleman.
With StarGate’s help, Ne-Yo gives us EDM tinged records with “Let Me Love (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)” and “Forever Now.” One of the albums best is “Carry On (Her Letter to Him)” where Ne-Yo switches places with a woman to write an anthem about an epic dismissal over choir vocals and strings. Never a stranger to being vulnerable, Ne-Yo teams up with production team Phatboiz for “Jealous” where he sings: “What I wouldn’t give to be your shoe. Just so I could caress your feet.” There’s even a surprise duet with Tim McGraw in “She Is.” Even having a country singer smack in the middle of the album would compromise the albums R&B focus. The brightest moment in R.E.D. is “Unconditional” where there’s an EDM influence that never overpowers the melody with deafening horn-synths.
Overall R.E.D. is concise and beautifully simple, making it one of this year’s smoothest R&B albums.
is it HIPHOPDX or RNBDX?
if you don’t listen to RnB…then don’t come to the review section and click on the RnB albums. Your just a troll hater.
@ jg:
You dumass the name of the site is HIPHOPDX! Before you comment read you dumb motherfucker
^^Your point fag??
@ Jg:
my point you cant read you dumb motherfucker. go to school
The best album this year
Its funny cause i guesed they’d give it a 3.5, and what do ya know, they did! Good album…better than Libra Scale.
serieux arretez de promouvoir ce genre de musique…on s’en bat les couilles de Ne-Yo, surtout que c’est un des pires dans le genre…r’n’bitch c’est de la musique pour pucelles
talk english dumbass
No thanks.
This is not hip hop..
Ne-Yo’s RED album is reviewed, and not the Weeknd’s Trilogy? A fan of Ne-yo, IMO one of the better artists of the Michael Jackson wannabe generation of RnB artists.
Weeknd is on it’s way. For sure.
Good review. 3.5/5 is fair.
Why are you reviewing this with so much dope shit out? Its selling a lot and Ne-Yo’s respectable, but hip hop? Come on…
I’ve got no problem with Ne-Yo or R&B but this does not belong here. Especially not while you’ve got a hip hop legend like E-40 dropping 2 albums and there is nothing to be found about them here. HHDX’s priorities seem to be all fucked up right now.
Ne-Yo is one of the only artists in modern R+B worth a shit.
Year of the Gentleman is still better but R.E.D. is close. 5/5
One of the best in RnB
Way better than Libra Scale
Great album effort he should limit the pop songs though but other than that a perfect 5.
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EDM and RnB are two opposite genres. I don’t know why RnB artists think its a good idea to mix them, other than for the facts that the radio plays them, are initially very catchy and sell a lot. As an RnB fan, I don’t buy these albums because the current value they hold is extremely cheap.
Unlike RnB music, EDM has no longetivity and, as has always happened, that music gets consumed and after a month, spit into the dustbin, never to be heard again. For example everybody cringes when ‘Sexy Chick’ comes on.
I fucks with NeYO hard body. Dude is fucking talented real shit.
best album by him since year of the gentleman
Pleasantly surprised by this album. Felt like a “comeback album” in a way. 3.9/5 for me.
Great album! Traditional r&b with some pop too. Tired of the same lame “r&b” lately. He can leader with bringing back the artistic r&b sound.
be the leader*
I love neyo but I give this album 4/5. I agree to those who said it’s better than libra scale. There were probaly 1 or 2 songs I didnt really like, but nice work. 🙂