Ne-Yo shows his true colors

Here in Manila for a set of concerts at the Araneta Coliseum tonight and tomorrow night, R&B Crown Prince Ne-Yo proved to be very articulate and well-committed to his convictions and views. At a round table with five other writers at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, where he’s billeted, Ne-Yo (or Shaffer Smith) definitely showed his true colors and I, for one, was impressed. Andre Alvarez, studio head of MYX, commented that in a recent interview Andre conducted with Rihanna, she had said that Ne-Yo was really goofy and silly, and a far cry from the suave, debonair persona he projects on his music videos. Ne-Yo laughed and said, “Rihanna is like my little sister! And sure, I’m goofy and silly with her because we’re that comfortable with each other. The cool image on the video though is really me as well. I’m at that point where if I tried to be something I’m not on my songs, my videos, on stage, it would show and ring false. I guess, like most of us, my personality is multi-faceted and depending on what I’m doing, who I’m with, and what I’m trying to accomplish, I can be one of several things, but they’re all me.”

Talking about his song-writing, Ne-Yo said they were all very personal. So Sick was about the very first time I fell in love and how I got hurt. It may have happened back when I was just 16, but I wrote the songs in my 20s and that’s how it is. I draw from the things that have happened to me and bend them or shape them to be part of the songs I write. What I look for is to put depth and true emotions in my songs. It’s a reaction to how I was kinda disappointed by what I heard people were listening to nowadays. In fact, last year, I set up my own record label, Compound Records and we make use of the recording studio I also set up, Carrington House. This was so I have a comfort zone in the work I do. It’s two buildings, one is for Compound, and the other is for my manager/agent. With Compound, I have artists like Paula Campbell and Shanell signed up, and they’re singers who I felt were very special.”

What else may we not know about Ne-Yo? He really “digs” Amy Winehouse and confesses to being one of the ones who clapped and stood up when she won at the recently held Grammies. “Her music is just great and I hope she doesn’t fall into the Lauryn Hill syndrome where you let your personal life and problems affect the musical gift you obviously possess.” A guilty pleasure would be chick flicks: “A friend of mine promised me I’d be going to watch an action movie, and the film was Closer of Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. I kept thinking this is going really slow for an action flick, but as the movie progressed, I found I was really enjoying it, and what it had to say about love and relationships. I even went out and got the song that Damien Rice sings at the start of the movie.”

About his songs about heartbreak and pain: “I love hard, and I get hurt hard and hate hard! (and he smiles) I guess that’s why people have responded to my songs and others have been happy to have me create songs for them. Work in Progress is something I specifically wrote for Mary J Blige. I like doing that creating songs with someone in mind to perform them.”

On acting: “I definitely enjoy it and whereas I used to think it was as easy as showing up, getting in front of the cameras and playing some role, I’m now very appreciative of the craft and skill you must have to do it credibly. You will most surely see me exploring this arena, but it will always take a back seat to the music.”

On his current projects: He’s involved with Michael Jackson’s album-in-progress, and is producing Lindsay Lohan’s new album. The new CD of Janet Jackson, Discipline, has three cuts composed by Ne-Yo and co-produced one of the cuts. And oh yes, he’s definitely hoping Sen. Barack Obama is the next US president.

Singer, composer, dancer, actor, sometime rapper, Ne-Yo’s star is definitely in ascendance, and he’s here in Manila to show us a slice of his talent... and to party! It’s two nights of R&B nirvana, and shouldn’t be missed.

(Note: Tickets to NE-YO: Live in Manila for tonight and tomorrow at Araneta Coliseum are available at all SM TicketNet Outlets or call 911-5555. It is presented by San Mig Light in cooperation with Smart Buddy, Close-Up, Lipton Milk Tea, Philippine Airlines and The Philippine Star and and also by Rexona Teens, Human, e-aji, ABS-CBN and EDSA Shangri-La. Special thanks to Converse, Petron, XCS, etc, Jack TV and MCA Music. Get a chance to win tickets or meet-and-greet Ne-Yo by texting NEYO to 2728.)