all-about-musicians-and-the-people-who-help-them-make-music
Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman”: Miss Independent, Meet Mr. Sensitivity
In just a few short years, Shaffer Smith (known to most of us as Ne-Yo) has become one of pop/R&B’s most respected songwriters. Since breaking through with Mario’s “Let Me Love You”, the Vegas native has penned songs for acts like Beyonce (“Irreplaceable”), Rihanna (“Unfaithful), Usher, Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion, to name just a few. Unlike most of today’s pop acts, Ne-Yo brings a classicist’s touch to his songwriting. He actually writes stories instead of a few chants wrapped around a hook. Take some of the slang out and he could have been writing in the Sixties or Seventies.
The man has since pursued a second career as an artist in his own right, with two hit albums under his belt. As a singer and performer, Ne-Yo, like just about every other young male artist in pop & R&B, owes much to Michael Jackson. His high tenor can be compared favorably to “Off the Wall” and “Thriller”-era MJ, and his dance moves are nothing if not Jacksonesque.
Unfortunately, Ne-Yo’s albums have been a mixed bag so far. While 2006’s In My Own Words was a solid effort that hinted at greatness, 2007’s Because of You was a well-written but somewhat boring follow-up. After that, I wasn’t sure if Ne-Yo had a great album in him…until now.
Ne-Yo. Photo by Robin Wong.
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Friday Throwback – I Can’t Sleep Baby (If I)
Before I get to the Friday Throwback, I wanted to quickly write about an interview that R. Kelly did with BET. Why did he do this interview? I have no idea.
If you didn’t watch the video, the moral of the story is that whoever told him to do this interview is an idiot. The interviewer asked him if he likes teenager girls. R didn’t immediately say no or get upset about the question. He asked for clarification. Now, I’m not sure if R is just that specific or what, but when you’re a 40 year old man and another man asks you on TV if you like teenage girls, the correct answer is “Hell no!” unless, well, you do. Then R asked if teenage girls meant nineteen years old. The interviewer is so befuddled that he paused and said that it could be anywhere from nineteen and on down. Then R admitted that he has nineteen year old “friends”, but he said he doesn’t like anyone “illegal”. Again R, the correct answer should’ve been no.
Further on in the interview, R basically says that no one should listen to speculation about his life from people he has hired and then fired, or people he has hired and are currently on staff. Huh? I think what he was trying to say is that people who are no longer on his staff are spiteful and want to bring him down. But that makes no sense as far as why we shouldn’t listen to the people who he hasn’t fired yet. I’m not sure that R is sane.
Now, after reading about this interview (and now watching it), I started to wonder how I could’ve ever been a fan of the man and his music. I specifically thought about two songs that I can still listen to and not have to immediately turn off. One is Half On A Baby and the other is I Can’t Sleep Baby (If I).
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The (Old) Boys of Summer
I had a disturbing realization last month. Disturbing, at least, from the point of view of a guy whose entire adolescent self-identity was wrapped up in the idea that he was ahead of the curve in all things pop music, that he could tell you with metronomic precision the Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 at any given moment (at a time when the Top 10 actually changed from week to week – and not just due to the latest event single). At the end of the summer, I’m looking back on the music I’ve purchased and listened to this year, and I’m finding that a disproportionate number of my favorite records of 2008 are by old farts.
Willie Nelson. Photo by Kjell Ove Hattrem.
Now, I realize that as most people settle into their adulthoods and are faced with the imminent onset of middle age – dear god, I can already smell the despair-laced liquor and cigarette smoke at the hall of my 20 year high school reunion – with growing debt loads, and growing children with growing attitude problems, it’s perfectly natural for a guy to reassess his priorities away from discovering the hottest new pop thing. No offense, Katy Perry, but it’s perfectly natural, and even admirable, for a guy like me to spend his Sunday night watching an inspirational Disney movie on DVD with his kids and dogs rather than sequestering himself in his basement tracking the hit parade according to Seacrest. And as we settle into our cosy adulthoods, it’s perfectly natural to fall back on the favorites and golden oldies (like “Rock the Casbah”!) we grew up with.
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