With his third disc, Year of the Gentleman, Ne-Yo presents songs that show what he means by class. Written over the course of travels through Europe and influenced by his 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.”
Ne-Yo’s music has an eternal sound that appeals to fans of all ages. As a songwriter as well as a singer, “I think it’s important to cast my words wide. In other words, I am not trying to contain myself in some little box marked urban. I have traveled the world, and I want to bring that across in the material. Forget about urban, pop or whatever, Year of the Gentleman is a worldly album.”
Ne-Yo proves on the first single Close that one can be classy and funky at the same time.The track is an electro-excursion in the glam of Euro-disco.
Harking back to a late ‘60s sound, So You Can Cry is one of the first songs Ne-Yo recorded for the project. Opening with an enchanting guitar resembling soft rain, the heartbreaking tune is about a friend mourning a break up. “This is a true story,“ explains Ne-Yo.“A friend of mine just broke up with her boyfriend and I said, ‘Ok, take this moment to be sad. I‘ll turn the sun away from you so you can cry today.‘”
Year of the Gentleman is released by MCA Music, Inc..