After numerous delays and title changes, R&B singer Ne-Yo returns with his latest project, Self-Explanatory. Due to the COVID pandemic, Ne-Yo had to put the project on the back burner despite releasing singles for the project going to 2020. Thankfully the horrid OT Genesis assisted “Pinky Ring,” a song that I have in Ne Yo’s what were you thinking pile, doesn’t make an appearance.
However, “U 2 Luv,” his infectious duet with Jeremih that saw release during the heyday of COVID 19 quarantine, does show up, and it still sounds fresh. For album number eight, Ne-Yo could have easily repeated the same route he did with “U 2 Luv,” and had pop chart success. But instead, he provides listeners with an autobiographical album of sorts.
Deciding to bear your soul usually provides the best results for any singer. It is well known to fans that back in 2020, the crooner and his wife split, contemplated divorce and then later reconciled, remarrying three months before the release of this album. With the album’s current single, “Handle Me Gently,” Ne-Yo delivers a nineties R&B style slow jam about getting your partner back.
While the previously released single “Don’t Leave Me” is textbook Ne-Yo, it honestly reminds us how strong his pen game is. Had this song gone to another artist earlier in the year, it would be even more significant. Never one to shy away from sensuality, Ne-Yo delivers the goods on the exotic dancer’s anthem “You Got The Body .”In addition, the bop “After Party” pays a smooth homage to the Roger Troutman sound while becoming one of 2022’s best slow cuts.
Apart from “What If” and some forgettable album filler, there isn’t much for the dance floor. I didn’t mind this artistic decision as I prefer Ne-Yo’s slower material. While I can’t say this album is strong as the singer’s first four projects, he has delivered one of his best projects since his prime days.
Final Grade: B
Self-Explanatory is available on streaming platforms
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.
Gwen Stefani had already established herself as a significant force with No Doubt when she released her debut solo album, *Love. Angel. Music. Baby* in 2004. This week, while my iPod was on shuffle, one of my favorite songs from that project, “The Real Thing,” came on. Although the original version has an upbeat new-wave feel, the Slow Jam Mix takes it to another level and is the perfect choice for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.
Unless you’re a music purist, mentioning Randy Jackson from the famous family is likely to elicit a joke. However, any serious Jackson fan knows that Randy had musical achievements long before the punchlines. Before he was old enough to buy a drink, he had already co-written “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and “Lovely One” with Michael Jackson.