Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo, honey, why so sad? OK, he's has always been a bit of a sad sack. And on four of the first five tracks here, the baby-voiced singer works a few other moods: "Single" is sweet (well, sweet-talking), "Miss Independent" is playful and "Nobody" gets some Michael-esque funk going. While lead single "Closer" might sound a little wistful, its lyrics are sexy as hell. But starting with "Mad," things get downright melancholy, which, granted, is a mood that plaintive croon of Ne-Yo's evokes well.

There's a difference between a ladies' man and a man who loves women, and Ne-Yo reps
for the latter. The 28-year-old singer-songwriter says his latest collection of heartfelt love
songs is a tribute to the Rat Pack's pressed-suit style, but it's actually a superb concept
album about what a great boyfriend he can be — call it Songs in the Key of Nice. Having
already penned lady-power hits for Beyoncé and Rihanna, he's the Gloria Steine... More >