The Rundown: Ne-Yo, Non-Fiction
Singer's latest features T.I., ScHoolboy Q and others.
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The Rundown: Ne-Yo, Non-Fiction - For his sixth studio LP, Ne-Yo recruits a host of R&B/hip hop luminaries — from T.I. to Candice — to unveil a tale of the ups and downs of love. Armed with his Michael Jackson sense of melody-making and vocal-chord changes, the singer gets elegantly ratchet singing about everything from finding a boo to messy-ing up the union due to a lack of focus. Click on a track-by-track look. (Photo: Motown Records)
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'Non-Fiction' - Instead of dabbling in the cliché of “keeping it real,” Ne-Yo cracks open his LP by explaining — via a Blaxploitation-esque funk-soul vamp — that what he’s about to give listeners is, well, some non-fiction. (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images for Encore Beach Club)
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'Everybody Loves/The Def of You (Interlude)' - A Michael Jackson-inspired melody easily blends with a breezy jazz fluidity as the R&B pop icon coolly sings about an irresistible groupie. (Photo: Moses Robinson/Getty Images for Ford Neighborhood Awards)
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'Run/An Island (Interlude),' Featuring ScHoolboy Q - Teaming with Black Hippy team star ScHoolboy Q, Ne-Yo offers another atmospheric ode to a mind-blowing lady.(Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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'One More,' Featuring T.I. - “You look like you just got off from work,” Ne-Yo passionately sings to his intended. “And if I may assume: you work hard but you don’t get what you’re worth.” Recruiting T.I. to provide the hip hop swag, the singer offers his woman a drink to take her mind off her troubles. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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'Time of Our Lives,' Featuring Pitbull - When a singer collabs with Pitbull, you know it's party time. Ne-Yo takes a moment from chasing and saving the sistas to giving himself a night of bachanal. This track is hype, upbeat and ready for a Miami nightclub. (Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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'Who's Taking You Home' - The night of clubbing is over, and now the R&B vet has his eye on a new lady, whom he's asking that all important post-party question... only this time it's done to an up-tempo club beat. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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'Coming With You' - As if answering the question to the title of the last track, Ne-Yo lets the girl know who she's going to be with: him. And, again, it's all executed to a bouncing, ready-made-for-the-dance-floor rhythm. (Photo: Mark Ashman/Disney Parks via Getty Images)
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'Take You There' - Steamy and sonic, this cut finds the crooner alone with his new boo... and it's about to go down. (Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Power 105.1)
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'Good Morning/Gon' Ride Interlude' - "Just lay back with your bottom leg right there," Ne-Yo instructs his boo. "I know you got to go to work, so let me work it out right there." If you haven't figured it out, it's the morning after and the singer is still in the mood. (Photo: John Ricard / BET)
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'Make It Easy' - Now that Ne-Yo's found love, he also wants to see if she's with him for amor and not just the money and fame. Over a heavily orchestrated R&B rhythm, tinted with some boom bap, he celebrates the kind of love he wants. (Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Mission BIG)
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'Money Can't Buy,' Featuring Jeezy - With one of rap music's biggest O.G.s at his side, Ne-Yo wields Michael Jackson melodies and vocal changes in celebration of his girl, who's unimpressed by his celebrity and wealth. (Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for TGI Fridays)
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'Religious/Ratchet Wit Yo Friends' - Ne-Yo melds hip hop rhythms with gospel-ish R&B sway as he belts this ode to how deeply he loves and appreciates his woman. (Photo: John Ricard / BET)
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'She Knows,' Featuring Juicy J - To celebrate the raunc,h Ne-Yo duets with the Oscar-winning Juicy J, harmonizing over a simmering club-banging track and shouting out the ladies who know they look good. (Photo: Ragnar Singsaas/Getty Images)
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'She Said I'm Hood Tho,' Featuring Candice - "She said I know... I know... I know your music," the singer melodically starts this track. "I prefer your old s**t to your new s**t." With another hot, carnal rhythm, Ne-Yo is back to meeting temptresses... This one's a stripper named Temptation. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
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