Ne-Yo and Leona Lewis lit up the “X Factor” stage during Sunday’s live show.
The R&B gentleman ignited the stage with his chart-topping U.K. hit “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)” off his upcoming album R.E.D., in stores November 6. Audience members put their glow sticks in the air as he performed a dance-heavy set, receiving a standing ovation from his pal, “X Factor” judge Nicole Scherzinger.
Season 3 champ Leona Lewis returned to where it all started, performing a stripped-down set. Looking regal in purple, the British songstress belted out her latest single “Trouble” from her album Glassheart, which will be released in the U.K. on October 15.
With a month to go before its release, Ne-Yo treats his fans to a sneak preview of his fifth album R.E.D. by releasing the cover art and tracklisting. The 17-track deluxe edition includes collaborations with country star Tim McGraw (“She Is”), Fabolous and Diddy (“Should Be You”), and Wiz Khalifa, who appears on the second single “Don’t Make ‘Em Like You.”
In addition to his hit “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself),” R.E.D. (an acronym for Realizing Every Dream) features the Calvin Harris-produced “Let’s Go” and “Alone With You (Maddie’s Song),” which he wrote about his daughter.
The R&B gentleman is confident that the material will please both his R&B and pop fans. “My album is a declaration of the blurring of the lines,” Ne-Yo told Rap-Up TV. “This is the most balanced album that I’ve ever done. My diehard R&B fans as well as my diehard pop fans, everybody’s gonna be able to get into this album because it is an equal balance of both genres.”
See the tracklisting before the album arrives on November 6.
Ne-Yo and Wiz Khalifa raise a musical toast to the special ladies out there. The odd couple collaborates on “Don’t Make ‘Em Like You” from Ne-Yo’s fifth album R.E.D., available November 6.
“Here’s a toast to my ladies with class, I see ya babe,” sings Ne-Yo on the uplifting ode. Similar to his previous hit “Miss Independent,” the song is a shout-out to all of the independent, classy women. The Taylor Gang leader raps about his own leading lady, presumably his fiancée Amber Rose: “We be posing for the cameras/ We be reading all the comments.”
In an interview with Rap-Up TV last month, Ne-Yo broke down the meaning behind R.E.D., an acronym for Realizing Every Dream. “I called the album that because pretty much from age nine to now, every dream and every goal that I set for myself in regard to music has been realized through music,” he explained. “This album is a celebration of my first love, which is music.”
Collaborators include Stargate, No I.D., Sia (“Let Me Love You”), Da Internz, The Underdogs, and Diddy and Fabolous (“Should Be You”).
Ne-Yo opened up love, life, and his emotional journey to the top on VH1’s “Behind the Music,” which aired last night. While he sings about living the “Champagne Life” these days, the R&B superstar’s life wasn’t always picturesque. Growing up in Arkansas, he witnessed his father abuse his mother. After showcasing his talent at a high school talent show, he joined a boy band called Envy and moved to L.A. in pursuit of a record deal.
After they disbanded in 2000, a then 20-year-old Ne-Yo focused on songwriting before eventually signing a lucrative deal with Def Jam. He went on to write hits for superstars like Beyoncé and Rihanna and went platinum with his 2006 debut In My Own Words.
The self-described “hopeless romantic” also spoke about meeting his soulmate, getting a call from Michael Jackson, and performing at the Apollo, with commentary from L.A. Reid, Mario, and his family.
“I had heard so many different times that what I wanted to do wasn’t good enough, but I stuck to my guns,” said Ne-Yo. “I gotta do what feels good and this is what feels good.”
Ne-Yo is seeing R.E.D. this November. After becoming the first Motown artist to top the U.K. charts in 20 years with his single “Let Me Love You,” the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is gearing up for the release of his fifth album, which drops on Election Day. Rap-Up TV caught up with the R&B gentleman in Beverly Hills to discuss his latest creation.
The album title is an acronym for Realizing Every Dream. “I called the album that because pretty much from age nine to now, every dream and every goal that I set for myself in regard to music has been realized through music,” he explained. “This album is a celebration of my first love, which is music.”
He’s confident that the material will please both his R&B and pop fans. “My album is a declaration of the blurring of the lines,” said the 32-year-old. “This is the most balanced album that I’ve ever done. My diehard R&B fans as well as my diehard pop fans, everybody’s gonna be able to get into this album because it is an equal balance of both genres.”
Collaborators include Stargate, No I.D., Sia (“Let Me Love You”), Da Internz, The Underdogs, and Diddy and Fabolous on the Salaam Remi-produced “Should Be You,” which may serve as the next single. “It’s basically a song talking about being with one person when you know that you should be and want to be with another person.”
In addition to his project, he has been cooking up more hits for Rihanna. “I did go in the studio with her,” confirmed Ne-Yo, who shared his love for RiRi’s new short ‘do. “I know I got one or two on the album that she’s definitely keeping.”
Ne-Yo is the latest star to take the spotlight on VH1’s “Behind the Music.” The episode chronicles his rise from being rejected by the industry to becoming one of music’s top hitmakers, with commentary from L.A. Reid, Smokey Robinson, his mother, sister, and girlfriend Monyetta Shaw.
The self-described “hopeless romantic” speaks about falling in love, getting a call from Michael Jackson, performing at the Apollo, writing “Irreplaceable” for Beyoncé, and the perks of fame.
“To know that I can walk in a room where there’s 20 women and snap my fingers and at least 18 of them are coming with me, I was a bit of a slut for a second. I can admit it,” said the Grammy-winning singer.
The episode airs September 23 at 9 p.m. on VH1. Get a sneak peek below.
Justin Bieber wasn’t the only one making moves on the “America’s Got Talent” finale. Dressed in all white, Ne-Yo showed what he’s working with while performing his single “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)” as laser beams shot across the stage.
The dance record has become Motown’s first No. 1 single in the U.K. in 20 years and Ne-Yo’s fifth overall. He made sure to remind viewers that his new album R.E.D. drops on November 6.
On what would have been his 54th birthday, some of the artists Michael Jackson inspired gathered to celebrate his birthday and the 25th anniversary of his iconic album Bad. Melanie Fiona, Ne-Yo, and Swizz Beatz were among those who paid tribute to the King of Pop by covering his Bad classics at the BAD25 Pepsi & Billboard Summer Beats Celebration at Gotham Hall in New York City on Wednesday night.
“Is the world ready to celebrate Michael Jackson?” asked Melanie Fiona, who served up a soulful set of her own hits plus covers of “Dirty Diana” and “Bad.”
Ne-Yo channeled his idol on “Smooth Criminal” and “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and dueted with his artist RaVaughn Brown on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” “You try Michael Jackson songs and hope that it works, so with that said I hope I made Mike proud just now,” said the R&B gent, who also performed new material off his upcoming album R.E.D., due in November.
A 25th anniversary edition of Bad featuring remixes, remastered hits, and unreleased demos will be released on September 18.
If you missed the live stream, you can watch some of the highlights below.
