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| Year of the Gentleman | 
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| Artist: Ne-yo
Label: Def Jam
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $8.47
You Save: $5.51 (39%)
New (50) Used (22) from $7.62
Avg. Customer Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 115
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.8 x 0.4
MPN: 001141002
UPC: 602517735620
EAN: 0602517735620
ASIN: B0018QCXGO
Release Date: September 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Closer | | • | Nobody | | • | Single | | • | Mad | | • | Miss Independent | | • | Why Does She Stay | | • | Fade Into The Background | | • | So You Can Cry | | • | Part Of The List | | • | Back To What You Know | | • | Lie To Me | | • | Stop This World |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
If the mark of the skilful Lothario is the one who knows to always tell his lover what she wants to hear, surely Def Jam’s R&B sensation Ne-Yo--aka Los Angeles singer-songwriter Shaffer Chimere Smith--is one of the greatest of them all. On his third album, Year of the Gentleman, Chimere channels his hitmaking talents into a suite of R&B songs that are more respectful than rampant in their approach to the romancing. “Single" is a song that reaches out to all the lonely girls, Ne-Yo promising, “I'll be your boyfriend til the song goes off," while the Stargate-produced “Miss Independent," lit up by neon synthesizers, suggests Smith isn't too concerned with his own machismo to test out flipping the traditional gender roles, serenading a girl who's a player in her own right: “Everything she got, you bet she bought it." The album is at its best with the central, two-song movement of “Why Does She Stay" and “Fade Into the Background"--the former finding Ne-Yo questioning his own neglectful nature over a backdrop of shimmering keys, the latter a sombre piece that finds our narrator accepting the news that his lover has found another with a rare, heart-rending magnanimity. --Louis Pattison
Album Description
"Closer," written by Ne-Yo and produced by Stargate, is the first single from Ne-Yo's upcoming third album, YEAR OF THE GENTLEMAN, set to arrive in stores June 24th. It is the follow-up to Because Of You (released May 2007), which received this year's Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and In My Own Words (February 2006) - both of which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. In addition to his Contemporary R&B Album award, Ne-Yo earned four other Grammy nominations this year, including two for his collaboration with Rihanna, "Hate That I Love You" (which he co-wrote), namely Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance Duo/Group; as well as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his #2 hit "Because Of You"; and Record of the Year for Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" (which he co-produced). Ne-Yo's Grammy recognition followed up the UK's 13th annual MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) Awards in September 2007 - the only televised European Awards Show solely dedicated to urban music and culture - at which he won for Best Song ("Because Of You") and Best R&B Act. Ne-Yo's RIAA platinum debut album In My Own Words was nominated for a Grammy as Best Contemporary R&B Album. It spun off three chart-topping hits, starting late-2005 with his debut Def Jam single, the #1 Grammy-nominated "So Sick," followed by "When You're Mad" and "Sexy Love." Ne-Yo capped 2006 as Male R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. At the The 21st Annual Soul Train Music Awards in February 2007, Ne-Yo won the Coca-Cola Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap new Artist for "Sexy Love."
Album Description
2008 album from the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter. With Year of the Gentleman, the Las Vegas native and premier songwriter has constructed a suite of songs that shows exactly what he means by class. Written over the course of travels through Europe last year and influenced by his own fascination with the Rat Pack, Ne-Yo explains, ''For me, the sharpness of Sammy and Sinatra is the kind of style I strive for in clothes and music. Year of the Gentleman is named in honor of those guys.'' 12 tracks.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...
 Ne-Yo does it again with "Year Of The Gentleman". September 24, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I was introduced to Ne-Yo when I heard the track "Stay", which features the artist formerly known as Peedi Crakk. The song got my attention but I needed to hear more tracks before I decided to invest in Ne-Yo's project. Once "So Sick" was released to radio, I knew that I would invest in it.
Ne-Yo was singing the blues about not being with the woman that he still loves and the midtempo track was in heavy rotation on the radio stations.
Ne-Yo released his debut CD, In My Own Words, in 2006.
My favorite tracks ended up being "Let Me Get This Right", "Get Down Like That", "Mirror", "Time" and "Let Go".
Ne-Yo released Because Of You a year later. The title track gave the CD alot of attention and the midtempo jam "Do You" didn't hurt things either. I also liked the alternate version of "Do You" that featured Mary J. Blige. My other favorites from the CD included "Can We Chill", "Say It", "Angel" and "Crazy" w/Jay-Z.
I saw Ne-Yo in concert earlier this year with Alicia Keys and Jordin
Sparks. I was anxious to see whether or not he would perform any songs from his upcoming album. He began the concert with "Closer" but I was disappointed that he didn't atleast give us a preview of what to expect.
After listening to this CD, I understand why he kept us in suspense and I am definitely satisfied with the final product. The 1st single "Closer" is unlike any song that Ne-Yo has made so far in his career. The track has tremendous energy and it comes across as an urban house song that you will be doing any kind of 2 step to even 20 years from now. He slows things down with the 2nd single "Miss Independent". Ne-Yo dedicates this track to the ladies that are out there doing their thing on their own. Whether, it's raising children, being the boss of their own firm or paying their bills on time, Ne-Yo dedicates this song to the independent ladies that are making something out of their lives. If you purchased the CD from Itunes there is a remix of "Miss Independent" entitled "She Got Her Own" w/Jamie Foxx & Fabolous. Most people will like the original track better but the remix isn't that bad at all. "Nobody" is a nice uptempo jam for the clubs. The track has Mijac (Michael Jackson) written all over it but it also has hit written all over it as well. Ne-Yo talks about how a particular woman is shutting the club down with her style, dancing skills and overall looks. I am not sure why Ne-Yo decided to put a track that he wrote for New Kids On The Block's new CD on here. However, "Single" clearly works and any female that's ever been put in that situation will definitely be able to relate to Ne-Yo's lyrics on this track. Once you hear "Mad" you will be able to understand why Ne-Yo's songwriting is in so much demand. He is able to break down things that happen in relationships in general and I am pretty sure that he has experienced some of the things that he is writing about as well. "Why Does She Stay?" has Ne-Yo acknowledging his faults and what he does wrong in the relationship and at the same time he is asking why does his woman choose to stay with him despite these faults. He gives her credit for putting up with his antics and he even realizes that he doesn't deserve to be with her. "Fade Into The Background" has Ne-Yo describing a situation at the club where he is eyeing a particular young lady. By the time he has to nerve to try to approach her, he realizes that someone beat him to it or that she is there with someone else. I think that has happened to every man atleast once in their life. "So You Can Cry" is a stellar midtempo jam that has Ne-Yo describing a situation where a woman is feeling depressed about a failed relationship and Ne-Yo is trying to do anything possible to be there for her during this difficult time. Ne-Yo has a nice touch of thoughtfulness on this project and it just makes him a better songwriter. "Back To What You Know" has Ne-Yo telling the lady that he is involved with that he can tell that she is not 100% commited to their relationship. He is letting her know that if your heart is still with your ex, then that is where you need to be instead of wasting their time in this relationship. Can the church say Amen to that one? This is another stellar midtempo jam on "Year Of The Gentleman". "Lie To Me" sounds like a track that Michael Jackson turned down and Ne-Yo decided to use for himself. On the 2nd verse, I thought I was going to hear a "Chum On" that Mijac is famous for singing in his songs. Ne-Yo is eerily trying to channel Michael on the 2nd verse. This song isn't bad but it could have been better. Things end on a great note with "Stop The World". The song will have you thankful that you are able to find someone special to spend the rest of your life with like I have. "Part Of The List" isn't bad but it sounds like Ne-Yo was trying to hard on certain parts of this track.
Overall, I feel Ne-Yo has created one of the best r&b releases of the year with "Year Of The Gentleman". This is clearly the best CD that Ne-Yo has ever written and the majority of the tracks demonstrate his writing talent. If you enjoyed "In My Own Words" or "Because Of You", then you can't afford to pass up on "Year Of The Gentleman".
James' Top 5
1) Closer
2) Miss Independent
3) Stop This World
4) So You Can Cry
5) Fade Into The Background
Honorable Mention:
Nobody
Why Does She Stay?
Back To What You Know
Single
Mad
Year of the Gentleman, Indeed. September 16, 2008
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
One of the few R&B stars to emerge in the last few years to sound more like an authentic talent than a record company puppet, singer/songwriter Ne-Yo affirms his stardom on killer third studio LP "Year of the Gentleman." A classy affair throughout, the fast-moving album packs a dozen quality songs, at least half of which could make solid radio hits, with Ne-Yo's warm, velvety vocals leading the way. He is a smart songwriter fully aware of the type of material that suits his limited but solid, expressive range, enabling him to craft catchy, elegant musical rapture consistently and heartily.
Ne-Yo has explained the album title by proclaiming it as his aim to evoke memories of a different time - a time when it was imperative to walk out the front door always looking your best - to look the part of the gentleman. Most importantly, he sings as well as looks the part on the glossy album cover, whether he does it through romantic paeans such as "Why Does She Stay?" or situational pieces such as "Mad," where he refuses to go to bed with his love muffin until their argument is over and they've kissed and made up. Yes, Ne-Yo may be aiming for the title of Mister Cornball, but darn if he doesn't churn out some downright listenable stuff.
The seductive, hook-drenched "Nobody" is every bit as impressive as effervescent lead single "Closer," one of the strongest Top 10 pop hits of the year. The bouncy "Single" twists and bends with sticky-as-Christmas tree sentiments that ably blend in with the album's context, as does second single "Miss Independent." A sexy, endlessly-playable pledge of allegiance to powerful women, it is already firmly situated in the Top 40 and bound to go even further than "Closer." Stargate's buoyant, light-as-feather production touch again brings out the best in Ne-Yo's particular brand of meaty, substantial R&B.
The pace slows as the album winds down, but the quality songs keep coming with the likes of the hard-won wisdom of "Lie to Me" and the crisp, airy "Back to What You Know." The urgent, captivating "Stop This World" wraps thing up tidily.
Ne-Yo truly delivers the goods here. Solid, juicy melodies color all the tracks, as opposed to the pre-canned rhythms and handclaps that have poisoned the market as of late. In the world of mainstream music he is a creative breath of fresh air. He may not yield anything groundbreaking, but he produces quality art. Today's pop music scene desperately needs more artists like him, and if "Year of the Gentleman" is any indication he is here to stay for a while.
 Plastic Soul... September 16, 2008
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
A few months ago, Ne-Yo stated in interviews that he was bored with R&B and was going to stretch out musically in different directions. He even cited quite a few Rock acts he claimed to listen to. This, coupled with the fact that he is a talented songwriter (Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable", Janet's "Discipline" to mention a few) made me look forward to his next musical foray.
Fast forward to the present and unfortunately, his new CD is more of the same old R&B he claimed to be tired of. There's no bad track on the CD I admit, but also nothing vital. Everything sounds airbrushed to perfection, with the backing vocals doing more of the singing, and Ne-Yo basically sounding soul-less.
Lead-off single "Closer" is a pleasant Club number (it's already topped the UK charts) however one can't help but feel it's an imitation of Rihanna's "Don't stop the music". "Miss independent" attempts to add some Middle Eastern influences but is nothing amazing (There's a remix titled "She got her own" featuring Jamie Foxx and Fabolous. It uses a speeded up vocal and piano sample from Donna Summer's "My baby understands" and it is much better than the album version of the song), while "Nothing" tries desperately to sound like something off Michael Jackson's "Off the wall" album, vocal impersonations included.
I rather like the ballad "Single" though those pounding beats almost overwhelm the song. Other standouts (if I may use that term) are the quite groovy dance song "Fade into the background" (he should have done more songs like this), the very catchy ballad "Lie to me" (with nice Techno-ish effects that everyone else seems to be using these days, e.g. Usher), and the closing piano ballad "Stop this world".
Well, what do I know. He must be doing something right as each of his albums has gone platinum and this one will no doubt do the same. Hopefully, Ne-Yo will find his soul someday and come out with that very good album I know he has got somewhere in him, but this isn't it.
Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman September 18, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Ne-Yo returns with his third album in three years with "Year of the Gentleman" (2008) a twelve track effort which features production from Stargate, Polow Da Don, Stereotypes, Shomari "Sho" Wilson, Reggie "Scyience" Perry, Chuck Harmony & Shea Taylor. Ne-Yo has no guest appearances on this release. The 28 year old singer starts the album off with the single "Closer" a track which has blown up on the radio. To be honest I have never really been impressed by this joint, has not grown on me like past Ne-Yo songs. The second single is "Miss Independent" a laidback ballad where Ne-Yo sings his appreciation for women who takes care of herself. The track's that stand out for me at the moment on this release are "Mad" where Ne-Yo croons a tale of heart ache looking to reconcile with a love & and the closing track "Stop This World" a heartfelt ballad which has Ne-Yo singing about the highs of being in love. Other track's on this release don't grab my attention as much, in truth though I am not a member of the target market Ne-Yo is appealing to with his music, and instead finding more appeal in artists like Anthony Hamilton. "Year of The Gentleman" is a decent release, which dedicated Ne-Yo fans should be happy with.
My theory about Ne-Yo still stands September 23, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
He is a very hit-and-miss kind of artist. When he's on he's on and there is no denying that. However, it seems like lately he is cranking out hits left and right for everyone else but when it comes to himself, he falls very short. There is nothing on this album that has the appeal or vigor that some of the songs he has written for artist have.
While the album as a whole is a decent effort, I was hoping to find more singles and less fillers. I give this cd 3 out of 5 stars because the hits are definitely hits but the misses are even more. My favorite tracks on the album are "Miss Independent," "Fade Into the Background" and "Single".
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