MUSIC REVIEWS
Ne-Yo - In My Own Words
David Allun Jones
R&B has had it’s share of superstars-in-the-makings in recent years but most of them have either failed to live up to their exciting debut singles, reverted to trends after their more interesting stuff went by un-noticed or been so distracted by their inspirations they couldn’t truly forge a unique path on their own. Where 22 year old newcomer Ne-Yo will fall is still up in the air, but his first album, In My Own Words, definitely puts him in that category of ones to watch, at least in the near-future.
Without the aid of being some rapper’s protge or star producer’s pet project, Ne-Yo is forced to get by on sheer personality and talent. Thankfully the man has both, and with the chart-topping success of Mario’s “Let Me Love You”, to which he famously wrote, he also has some level of credibility. In My Own Words encapsulates the man’s skills perfectly in a commercial sense, as he doesn’t venture too far left field in fear of losing the “106th & Park” audience. But even older audiences who couldn’t tell D4L from Dem Franchize Boys could get a kick out of the man’s timeless melodies, deft lyrics, sleek harmonies and rich arrangements found here
Based on the production alone, In My Own Words would be a pretty solid R&B effort. Standard hip hop beats are fleshed out with tinkly keyboards and cinematic bursts of old school soul and classy pop with the vocal arrangements throwing in layers of lushness that offer something the ears can appreciate. Ne-Yo’s fresh tenor won’t necessarily rock your world, but his appreciation for being tuneful, and not resorting to showy histrionics that are more annoying than captivating, helps make this an album that you could listen to over and over tirelessly. As dependable as the production is Ne-Yo’s songwriting, a gift that immediately stands out thanks to it’s attention to intimate details and original takes on tried-and-true scenarios.
The vivid symptoms he feverishly describes in the beat-heavy “Stay” make you anxious to know what’s making him feel so crazy, while everyone will understand the pain of the post-break up rituals (“Gotta fix the calendar I have that’s marked July 15th/ Because since there’s no more you/ There’s no more anniversary”) that certify the smash hit “So Sick”, his calling card to fame. “I understand that you’re not ready for me and my directorial debut/ Featuring me, starring you”, he explains on “Mirror” to which he decides that watching their reflection is the next best substitute, one of many cocky moments that probably mark the album’s most irritating trait (Must every male R&B singer be so self-assured?). By album’s end, Ne-Yo reaches a pinnacle moment with “Time”, a beautiful power ballad fueled by “you don’t know what you got til it’s gone” sentiment that’ll stay with you long after it’s well-tailored sap and bombast has faded away.
A disc full of radio winners that’ll no doubt earn him major album sales and consistent airplay throughout a better part of 2006, In My Own Words premieres a new artist with the “It” factor to become something big. He doesn’t have the instrumental chops of John Legend or the gritty gospel feel of Anthony Hamilton, but Ne-Yo holds down the polished R&B/ Pop idol niche well. A little more experimentation both in music and theme will assure the legendary status he hopes to achieve, if he doesn’t wear himself thin too soon by repeating the same moves and sticking so close to trends.
