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Music : Year of the GentlemanBrowse or Search and Buy Online our Best Sellers Shopping Sales of Music and Year of the Gentleman. Rating:  - Extremely listenable albumThis album far exceeded my expectations. I bought it for the Top-40 songs and wound up listening to all of it for hours. The love songs must have been written by someone truely in love. Rating: - One of 2008's best CDsThere are some CDs that sound good from start to finish but lack the truly standout songs. Others have some hit singles but little depth. "Year of the Gentleman" is like the 2007-08 Boston Celtics -- it has some gems and plenty of depth. "Miss Independent" is my favorite song on the CD. I also love "Nobody," which sounds very much like it has a Michael Jackson influence. "Mad" is a ballad with a great melody, "Closer" is a fun, upbeat song. "Fade into the Background," "So You Can Cry" and "Part of the List" are all quality R&B songs. The only track on the entire album that I dislike is "Why Does She Stay," and all the others are not only easy to listen to, but they're memorable. This album is packed with hits for the hip hop and R&B lover. It's not too often that I'll put 9 or 10 songs from one album onto my iPod, but this is definitely one of them. Ne-Yo is a huge star right now. Rating: - Ne-Yo CD ReviewThis CD is awesome. Every song is remarkable. I haven't stopped playing it since I got it. Rating:  - 3 1/2 stars. "Year of the Gentleman"At his very best, Shaffer "Neyo" Smith is such a remarkable, undeniable talent. But he can also fall into mediocrity like he did with "Year of the Gentleman." This album is filled with guitar/drumming arrangements, decent tracks and countless Michael Jackson influences. The lyrics, or, content of the songs, are this album's most outstanding aspect. Neyo speaks on topics that no one else does, yet they are so relevant. As a unit, I am certainly not impressed with this album. The highlights are very good, but surely not his most memorable work. For his best work, seek out his debut entitled "In My Own Words." This album, in its own way, is kind of fresh."Closer" was this album's first single. It took time getting used to. This is the type of song that you'll either love or dread. It's a different approach for this artists and all fans will not like that. This really is a good song, especially the production, hook and harmonies. "Why Does She Stay" is the piano-filled ballad that talks about a man who is in a relationship with a woman who treats him much better than he treats her. I have seen this situation numerous times, therefore, I know many won't have a hard time relating. The lyrics are sure to touch some and make others realize how good their partner is. "Miss Independent" is a track that gives independent women their just due. I really like this song because I am one of the women he is speaking of. The women he is talking about don't need anyone for anything! The title of the album is especially creative, as is some aspects of this third effort by Neyo. But, it did little for me collectively, though it is a decent album. Mikeisha's Top 5 1. "Miss Independent" 2. "Mad" 3. "Closer" 4. "Stop This World" 5. "Fade Into the Background" Rating:  - Three Is A CharmIt seems as if Ne-Yo has been in the musical game for longer than 3 years currently. Bursting onto the scene with So Sick in early 2006 (not counting Stay in 2005), Ne-Yo got off to a strong start, producing and writing hits for others and himself. The streak continued with his sophomore effort, Because of you--although that project did not live up to its predecessor commercially or critically. A little more than a year after the former project, comes Ne-Yo's third release. Closer--Produced by StarGate and Ne-Yo, this was the first single. It was a different approach for Ne-Yo with its thumping, club beat. It got off to a weak start on radio, but it rebounded reinvigorating interest in the project. This song is catchy. A+ Nobody--Produced by Kirven Arrington, this mid-tempo sounds like Ne-Yo trying to be like Michael Jackson, and it sounds like something off his previous CD. Definitely a filler track! C- Single--Produced by Polow Da Don, here the momentum picks up with this urban/ghetto-like club joint. It is a slow burner, but it definitely has that touch that Polow has brought to other cuts--Runaway Love (Ludacris), Promise (Ciara), Crying Out For Me (Mario) and Love In This Club (Usher). A+ Mad--Produced by Ne-Yo and Stargate, this is the current 3rd single. It is a slow jam with an arrangement and catchiness that keeps the energy of the CD going positively. A Miss Independent--Produced by Ne-Yo and Stargate, this was the 2nd single off the project. While the lyrics leave room for more creativity, the song is crafted in that attracting way that many of Ne-Yo's songs do. A- Why Does She Stay--Produced by Stereotypes, here is a contemplative ballad that Ne-Yo pulls off effortlessly. It has the right lyrics, the right beat and the matching vocals. A Fade Into the Background--Produced by Shomari Wilson, the tempo picks up a little after the past 2 ballads. The phrasing of the verses is reminiscent of a Michael Jackson cut, but the hook is catchy. This song is a nice song to just listen to. A So you Can Cry--Produced by Syience, this slow jam sounds similar to Angel from his last CD. However, it brings a different edge that provides life to the song. While a song like this could be considered filler by many artists, with Ne-Yo it passes the test. A- Part of the List--Produced by Chuck Harmony, this ballad is nothing short of cheesy. It does have elements that make it listenable like the lyrics that talk about what the requirements of a good date/relationship are. However, it is beyond sappy. B- Back To What you Know--Produced by StarGate and Ne-Yo, this mid-tempo comes off as filler to me. It has a weird sound to it, and it is not as strong as the other StarGate productions. It is not a memorable track on the project. C Lie To Me--Produced by Shea Taylor, on this ballad, Ne-Yo is able to rebound from the doldrums of the past song. While this song has elements of cheese, it still is a listenable cut with a catchy hook and a nice percolating beat. B Stop This World--Produced by Chuck Harmony, cheesiness aside from some of the other cuts, this song is the ballad that Ne-Yo has been needing to record for some time. All singers need that show-stopping, schmaltzy ballad that can really lend itself as an encore performance. We have heard songs like this before from many other artists. Coming from Ne-Yo, it is a new addition. A+ Overall, the CD shows a maturer side of Ne-Yo. There is less filler. The songs have a sophistication and cohesion to them that has been missing to a certain degree from previous efforts. They also show Ne-Yo branching off a little to experiment while still appeasing his fanbase. |