R&B powerhouse Ne-Yo has been a driving force in the industry for many years now. His debut single “So Sick” was one hell of a way to enter the game and it generated outstanding numbers during a time where the streaming era wasn’t even a thought yet. It was featured on his debut studio album In My Own Words (RIAA certified 2x platinum as of Dec. 9 2020) and this is when the world knew exactly how Ne-Yo was coming. Through the years, the “Sexy Love” singer not only provided classic material, he cemented himself as one of the best songwriters in the genre. Today (July 15) Ne-Yo returns with his eighth studio album Self Explanatory.
Real @NeYoCompound fans know tomorrow he’s dropping his album on him and his ex anniversary from So Sick👀🔥
— Gmoneycarter$💵 (@gmoneycarter16) July 14, 2022
After a four-year hiatus, the Grammy-award winning singer and songwriter couldn’t have came at a better time for this release. In a recent interview, Ne-Yo spoke on why it was complicated during that time period:“I started this album in 2018, and I was moving through it a little more slowly than normal. It was taking me some time to get things going because I was really trying to figure out where I fit into the industry now — I’m not going to lie.”
This existential crisis was only temporary, however. Ne-Yo finally realized that, as a true artist, the point was never just to make money: It was to make art. “I’ve never been in this business just for the sake of selling records; that’s not my job. I had to remind myself of the reasons I fell in love with music in the first place and not worry about where the album was going to fall — be it urban radio or pop radio — that nothing else really matters when it comes down to the creation of art.”
REVOLT caught up with the R&B powerhouse at the 2022 Essence Fest and he shared the reason why he called the album Self Explanatory: “I call the album Self Explanatory because at this point, the music should speak for itself. I hate to listen to a song that has a storyline to it and once it’s over, I’m asking questions. I’m supposed to be able to know what’s going on the second it plays. My body is supposed to know what it’s supposed to do and that’s what my music is doing on this album.”
Self Explanatory consists of 13 tracks and features Zae France, Jeremih, Trippie Redd and BLEU. Press play and catch a vibe!