Motown Compound Entertainment

NE-YO

R.E.D. 11.06.2012

Sep 15, 2008 11:51 AM (GMT-04:00)

Sound-Savvy Reviews Year of the Gentleman


They say nice guys finish last, and generally I tend to agree. We end up being the guys that stand firm for everyone else but we’re hardly ever understood. With Year of the Gentleman, that’s all about to change. Every song on Ne-yo’s aptly-titled third studio album is told from the perspective of the consummate gentleman. This album does what Usher’s Here I Stand was unable to successfully do – it matures. While the vocals on Gentleman are the best of all his projects, the true highlights are in the lyrics. As proven before, Ne-yo has an impeccable way of capturing moments and emotions with his pen and transforming them into a work of pure genius. For the ladies this album has humility, sensitivity, honesty, vulnerability but for the fellas, this album shows character, strength and expression...  Click here to finish reading the official Sound-Savvy review of Year of the Gentleman...

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Sep 17, 2008 6:47 PM (GMT-04:00)
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Feelings on Year of the Gentlemen

While I'm a huge Ne-Yo fan, know both previous albums down to the beat/breath, I was a bit off with this new album.  Don't get me wrong, a lot of it is really good and catchy, "Closer" and "Miss Independent"(the two singles) are great.  "Nobody" was very Michael, almost too much BUT the song stands out; you notice it, and move to it.  "So You Can Cry" is borderline masterpiece, simple but so beautiful.  "Stop This World" is a beautiful love song as well, really says how your feelings for another can really make everything else just become insignificant almost.  "Single" stands out to me as well, not as much as "Nobody" but it is a nice song with a sweet talking feel.

However the rest of the album seems so melancholy, which for me is fine, I've listened to my fair share of Sinatra's "Wee Small Hours", "Drinking Again", and "One for My Baby" love them all but I think a lot of your(Ne-Yo) audience will be taken back by it, although you know this, you said be ready for a surprise.

Lyrically the album is beautiful(no surprise there) and vocally as well(or there), so I'll leave this sentence just standing in the middle of my post as is.

Overall I enjoy the album, I notice I keep going back to "Nobody" and "So You Can Cry" as my two favorites, one catchy and the other simply beautiful music, respectively.  The direction the album is trying to take music is nice and needed, for too long music has been on the shoulders of 2-3 good artists for each decade with the others just making money not really caring what they have on the album.  Props on the album, I enjoy every track there is on it, though honestly I could do without "Lie to Me" a bit repetitive but with this as, in my opinion the worst track on the album it still tops some artists' bests out there.  If the album doesn't sell as well as the previous two I wouldn't be too offended, a lot of your audience(young, from high school to mid twenties) often don't take well to the darker side of emotion: sadness, depression, lonely, which several of your songs are based on.  Sales don't always match quality.

Honest fan,
 -Ken


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Sep 19, 2008 9:57 PM (GMT-04:00)
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The album is great!

You honestly are one of the best artist (notice I didn't say R&B artist) of our time. This album shows that you are more than capable of showing that you are very versitile. You are not bound to one genre at all. From "Part of the List" to "So You Can Cry" to "Nobody" the different sounds definitely achived the goal of giving everyone a sample plate. This is one of the best albums I have ever heard though I don't expect it to sell in the US (this country allowed a rapper like Soulja Boy to become mainstream. Quality is definitely not important anymore).  :-)   


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