Shaffer Chimere Smith, known professionally as ‘Ne Yo’, is a singer-songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He primarily makes music in the R&B genre. Ne Yo has amassed an enormous fan following through his illustrious 17-year career as a musician, with several of his albums and singles earning the coveted platinum certification and even Grammy Award nominations.
Ne Yo’s talent and natural inclination toward music were noticed through his stellar lyrical work on the 2004 hit single Let Me Love You. The song’s success put Ne Yo on the radar of several big-budget production houses and entertainment executives. As a result, the emerging musician signed a long-tenured contract with the renowned American multinational record label Def Jam Recordings in 2006 and would dish out a host of critically acclaimed albums and singles in the years to come.
7 In My Own Words: 2006
Ne Yo’s illustrious career as a musician would commence with his debut album, In My Own Words.
The inception of this widely successful album was credited to Ne Yo’s lyrical work on fellow R&B singer Mario’s song Let Me Love You. The catchy single would pave the way for Ne Yo’s overwhelming success as a singer, with his collaboration with some of the world’s most revered producers and songwriters adding a ton of credibility to his debut album.
In My Own Words earned a Grammy Award nomination in the ‘Best Contemporary R&B Album’ category and debuted at the number one spot on the US ‘Billboard 200’ with a whopping 301,000 copies sold.
With the album garnering a plethora of positive reviews from critics and a global audience, it did not take long for it to evolve into a certified platinum album by the ‘Recording Industry Association of America’. Overall, Ne Yo’s debut album and his start in the music industry proved to be a resounding success.
6 Because Of You: 2007
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Ne Yo had established himself as a talented singer with his debut album. The American singer would capitalize on his overwhelming success with his follow-up album Because of You in 2007, with its success matching up to its predecessor.
The development of the Because of You record would be overseen by the same brilliant minds responsible for the success of Ne Yo’s debut album, with the likes of Stargate, Feemster and even Shea Taylor adding their personal touch to the widely successful follow-up album.
Because of You was yet another example of Ne Yo’s natural inclination towards music, with the album debuting at the number one spot on the US Billboard 200′ chart. The positive reception garnered by the follow-up album would translate to a platinum certification and a whopping 250,000 sales figure.
Because of You would go on to win the prestigious Grammy Award at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008, with its overwhelming success polishing further the shine that surrounded Ne Yo’s flourishing career as a singer and songwriter.
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5 Year Of The Gentleman: 2008
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By the time 2008 came around, Ne Yo was one of the music industry’s most valuable assets. The American singer and songwriter continued his dominance in the R&B genre, with his third album, Year of the Gentleman, proving a commercial success.
The album’s development was overseen by a few familiar faces, including Shea Taylor and Stargate, that proved to be integral building blocks in the success of Ne Yo’s previous albums. Additionally, the involvement of revered American singer and producer Chuck Harmony and ‘The Stereotypes’ production house added a certain ‘heft’ to the album’s credibility.
Year of the Gentleman debuted at the number 2 spot on the US Billboard chart and would even earn a platinum certification by the ‘Recording Industry Association of America’. Ne Yo’s third attempt at an album proved to be a resounding success all-around, with the catchy record garnering over one million shipments in the United States and a 600,000 sales figure in the United Kingdom.
4 Libra Scale: 2010
Ne Yo’s illustrious career as a musician would continue to flourish in the years to come. 2010 would see the release of Ne Yo’s fourth album Libra Scale, which would be at the receiving end of positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The album debuted at the number 9 spot on the US ‘Billboard 200’ chart and would manage to garner a healthy 112,000 sales figure in its first week of release. The critically acclaimed album would be the fourth consecutive top-ten album in the United States and would play a significant role in maintaining Ne Yo’s dominance in the music industry.
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3 RED: 2012
While not as commercially successful as its predecessor, Ne Yo’s fifth album, RED, was at the receiving end of positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The development of the RED record would involve the contribution of one of Ne Yo’s frequent collaborators, Stargate, as well as the American production duo ‘The Underdogs’. The album debuted at the number 17 spot on the UK Albums Chart and would be the third consecutive top-twenty album after Ne Yo’s 2006 record In My Own Words.
RED would continue to taste success in the years to come, ranking as the 165th most popular album of the year on the ‘Billboard 200’ chart in 2013.
2 Non-Fiction: 2015
Ne Yo’s continued success as a singer and songwriter saw the release of his sixth studio album, Non-Fiction, in 2015.
While the album itself was at the receiving end of mixed reviews from critics and audiences across the globe, its decent sales figures and number 5 spot on the US ‘Billboard 200’ made it a success.
With the release of Non-fiction, Ne Yo became the second male R&B artist to possess six consecutive top 10 albums behind Chris Brown. The album’s decent performance all-around made it the 140th most popular album of the year on the ‘Billboard 200’ in 2016 and posted a superior sales figure of a whopping 108,000 units in the United States.
1 Good Man: 2018
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2018 would witness the release of Ne Yo’s seventh studio album, Good Man. The album itself would fall short of expectations compared to the American singer and songwriter’s works of years past. However, the album’s enthralling and likable list of singles possessed an upbeat and likable personality that held their own against the competition.
The album peaked at the number 33 spot on the ‘Billboard 200’ chart and managed to adapt to the revolution of social media, garnering a whopping 8 million views on Youtube.
Ne Yo is undeniably one of the most accomplished R&B artists of the modern era. The talented American singer and songwriter have managed to remain in the spotlight for the most of 17 years, with his long list of achievements pertaining to the success of his albums almost unparalleled. Several of Ne Yo’s albums and singles have been platinum-certified by the ‘Recording Industry Association of America’ and garnered the prestigious Grammy Award for their immense popularity and enthralling nature. The established R&B artist is at the peak of his career, and one can expect his mesmerizing $10 million fortune to snowball further in the years to come.
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Sources: Stlyrics, Discogs, Soul In Stereo
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