No playing safe for Ne-Yo

MANILA, Philippines - It’s payback time for Ne-Yo. The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter still can’t get over his two sold-out shows at the Araneta Coliseum in 2008 and the chart-topping albums that went with them.

So he packed his bags again and recently performed at SM Mall of Asia because “anywhere I receive love, I try to come back and give that love back.”

His second coming to Manila sees him leaving his comfort zone and wearing another hat, that of artist manager. The man behind So Sick introduced his first artist, the bubbly Puerto Rican Jaydn Maria. And like a proud dad rambling on and on about his child, he can’t help but talk about Jaydn Maria.

“I was instantly intrigued by her personality, which is much larger than her stature,” gushes Ne-Yo during an interview at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where he stayed during his most recent visit.

“Jaydn’s not big by any means, but when she opens her mouth, it’s like she’s 10 feet tall. She also has a sweet tone, a gorgeous smile, a bubbly yet strong persona, not to mention a rather strong pen game.”

Star quality, Ne-Yo will tell you, is not just about talent. If it were, every artist in pitch-perfect tone will already be a star. Anyone who can dance up a storm will see his name in the marquee for decades.

Not quite, counters Ne-Yo.

“You can teach a person to be the dancers on the face of the planet,” he declares. “To be able to sing and do vocal acrobatics — all that can be taught. The thing is you’re born with it (star quality), and it’s not something you teach.”

Star quality is something Ne-Yo himself didn’t learn from anybody. Sure, he has idols, like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., whose coolness takes Ne-Yo’s breath away.

Ne-Yo’s latest album, Year of the Gentleman (MCA Music) even draws from Sinatra and Davis’ brand of effortless class.

“The sharpness of Sammy and Sinatra is the kind of style I strive for in clothes and music,” explains Ne-Yo. “Year of the Gentleman is named in honor of these guys.”

Sammy and Sinatra, however, are just half of the equation that makes for Ne-Yo’s training in star quality.

The other half stems from a passion for excellence and the guts to be different.

“Instead of trying to be the next big thing, focus on being the best. Be the best you can be. Step out of your comfort zone and experiment,” Ne-Yo states.

Ne-Yo practices what he preaches. He admits lying low in the music scene last year because he did two movies, one an action drama and another a sci-fi film to be shown next year. .

The urge to re-invent also applies to his music. Ne-Yo is not afraid to try the upbeat and veer away from the mellow style fans have grown to love in So Sick and his other songs.

“My most recent album (Year of the Gentleman) has a dance feel to it because I feel that limiting myself to just one music genre I almost disrespectful to the gifts the Guy gave me,” he says.

The courage to break out of the mold emboldens Ne-Yo to venture into genres he needs getting used to.

“If I have the ability to do pop music, to do country, why not explore this ability?” he goes on.

Yes, why stay in a safe corner when there’s a world out there waiting to be explored?

By refusing to rest on his laurels, Ne-Yo is avoiding the trap that has led to many an artist’s downfall.. By always staying on his toes, he is keeping the audience interested. 

The two-way relationship is giving Ne-Yo and the audience, a lot to be thankful for.