- Producers: Jay Z (exec.), Timothy Bloom, Ron “Neff-U”, The Heavy Weights, Eric Hudson, Knobody, Ne-Yo, Stargate, Sylence, and Shea Taylor
- Released April 25, 2007, by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings
- RIAA Certification: Platinum
- Singles: Because of You, Do You, Can We Chill, and Go On Girl
- 2nd studio album
- Total of songs: 12
Because of You was a total risk on Ne-Yo’s end and yet ended up debuting at number one on the U.S Billboard 200 and Top R&B/HipHop albums charts. It sold over 250,000 copies in its first week. It even won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2008. However, after much success, it was still less commercially successful than his first album, In My Own Words.
Ne-Yo was skeptical about Because of You because he took chances that he didn’t take on In My Own Words. He was hoping people would accept it, and thankfully, they did. This risk was a stepping stone for Ne-Yo and 12 songs that we still sing our hearts off today.
Because of You
- Producer: Stargate
- Writers: Mikkel S. Eriksen, Ne-Yo, and Erik Hermansen
As humans, we all have some obsession or addiction; the scary part is that we can get like that over other humans beings. It could be over a celebrity or crushes at school or work environment. Perhaps it’s your neighbor or, for some odd reason, the mailman… The point is we sometimes go through this human obsession, and the person is not exactly good for us. That’s precisely what Ne-Yo describes in Because of You. Ne-Yo says,
“Because of You is about being with somebody that you probably shouldn’t be with, but you allow this person to become an addiction…”
Ne-Yo has been in this situation more times than he cares to remember, and he knows others have too. That’s why he compares it to a drug. He says,
” I wanted this song to kind of pick up where “Sexy Love” left off.”
The song reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and topped the New Zealand charts. It also came number 10 in Ireland, Japan, and the U.K. Because of You was such a hit it appeared in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV on the fictional radio station The Vibe 98.8.
Because of You also has four other versions you might have yet to learn about, such as rapper AC, S-One, Michael Jackson, and Joe Budden, however, the official remix is done with no other than the musical genius Kanye West.
Music Video Fun Facts:
- It was directed by Melina Matsoukas, the same woman who led Whitney Houston’s I Look You and Million Dollar Bill videos.
- June Ambrose designed the costumes.
- Trent Dickens taught Ne-Yo the choreography for the video.
- The actress in Because of You are Camila Alves- who played his girlfriend, and La ‘shontae Heckard-who plays the seductress and also features in Do You.
Crazy
- Producers: Ne-Yo and Ron “Neff-U” Feemster
- Writers: Ne-Yo, Jay-Z, and Ron “Neff-U” Feemster
“You drive me insane.” That is the message of this song, and whether or not it’s a bad or good thing is totally depended on perspective. The song’s meaning is similar to the story Because of You, except he’s really gone this time. The drugs have taken over! No, I’m just kidding, but I mean, you have to be insane to write someone’s name on the wall 3000 times in a single night.
Jay-Z adds flare to the song by rapping on the synonyms to the word crazy right before Ne-Yo begins singing about just how crazy in love he is with his girl.
Can We Chill
- Producer: Eric Hudson
- Writer: Ne-Yo
- Co-produced: Ne-Yo
- Mixed: Kevin “KD” Davis
- Released: Def Jam Recordings
Immediately, as soon as the first beat hits you, the 90’s vibe will wash over you like deja vu. The love song talks about the next steps of the relationship whenever you’re ready. There’s no need to rush or force anything.
As good as a single as it was, it was Ne-Yo’s lowest charting single and second lowest in the U.K. It failed to chart on Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hiphop songs.
Music Video Fun Facts
- Filmmaker Mike Ho directed it
- It was shot in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, specifically in a cave and on a beach
- The cave in the video (that eventually becomes a nightclub) is a legit club/cave called “Club Los Tres Ojos.”
Do You
- Producers: Heavy Weights
- Writers: Ne-Yo, Melvin Sparkman, and Marcus Allen (the remix has Mary J Blige’s name on it)
- Released: June 12, 2007, in the U.S. and July 30 in the U.K.
In the beginning, a heavy sigh lets us know he’s about to get some things off his chest. The meaning of this song is simple. Ne-Yo says,
“I wanted this song to sort of pick up where ” So Sick” left off,” he continues,” My ex-girlfriend is getting married, but still, I’m writing her a letter telling her I care while wondering, do you?”
He has also stated,
“…song is basically saying congratulations with your new life, but do you at any point think about me?”
Like many of his other songs, Ne-Yo writes from his heart and experiences. Do You is a true story. It’s not the only version, though. There are two remixes—one with Mary J Blige and another with Hikaru Utada.
Music Video Fun Fact
- Suppose you loved the music video Because of You. In that case, you might even love Do You because it was directed by the same person: Melina Matsoukas.
Addicted
- Producers: Ne-Yo and Robert Shea Taylor
- Writers: Ne-Yo and Robert Shea Taylor
If you’re a Prince fan, you might be addicted to this song. Why? Because that was the point. It’s one of Ne-Yo’s favorite songs on the album. He says,
“[I] really tried to channel my inner Prince energy (being a Prince fan.)”
Overall, the tune shows that he’s not addicted to sex, but you might be if you sleep with him. In the first verse, he smoothly sets the record straight to his haters that he’s not a sex addict, while in the second verse, his slick behind, talks about how it’s not his fault that he’s so good at it. In the song, he calls it a blessing and a curse. Sounds like a typical Ne-Yo comment.
Leaving Tonight
- Producers: Knobody and Ne-Yo
- Writers: Ne-Yo, Jerome Foster, Joe Davis, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Tarplin, and Pamela Moffett-Young
You might recognize this song’s tune if you’re a Motown fan, especially of Smokey Robinson. It samples Smokey Robinson’s ” Baby Come Close.” Leaving Tonight features Jennifer Hudson and tells the song’s story through conversation. In the argument, Jennifer basically says, ” You’re leaving ’cause I said so. That’s right; I know there’s another, and you can’t tell me otherwise.”
On the other side of the Titanic, Ne-Yo pleads, “I swear it’s not true. I’m not leaving because I love you.”
Mhmm… Well, in the end, Ne-Yo… No, you listen to the song and find out what happens. I will tell you how he felt about working with Jennifer, though. In a 2007 Billboard interview, he says,
” To be an artist is to crave acceptance, so it’s difficult to tell people things sometimes,” he goes on to say,” You almost have to take a backseat to the artist, especially if they’ve had a little bit of success. But by the grace of God, Jennifer Hudson is still normal. When I asked her to bring out a note or change something, it was done. She out-sung me on my own song. It’s Jennifer Hudson featuring Ne-Yo.”
Ain’t Thinkin’ About You
- Producer: Eric Hudson
- Writer: Ne-Yo
- Co-produced: Ne-Yo
- Mixed: Kevin “KD” Davis
Knowing Ne-Yo, we know he doesn’t put up with anybody’s bull, especially if he’s trying to make it work with you. Ain’t Thinkin’ About You speaks about putting his time and energy into a girl who only stresses him out in the end with all her drama. Finally, he decides to give her the boot and says I ain’t thinkin’ about your- sorry, he’s a gentleman in this song. He says I’m not thinkin’ about you anymore, so leave.
Sex With My Ex
- Producers: Shea Taylor and Ne-Yo
- Writers: Shea Taylor and Ne-Yo
The title is pretty self-explanatory, but I’ll give it to you for those who would like a deeper explanation (as deep as you can get).
Ne-Yo created Sex With My Ex from a real experience he went through. He said after he and the girl broke up, she claimed that she enjoyed him, and even though they aren’t together, if he’s up to it, they can continue to sleep together. Ne-Yo wanted to see how true it was, so he tested it… We know the results.
Again, you might get a Prince vibe which was intentional, just like Addicted. It’s his other favorite song on the album.
Angel
- Producers: Ne-Yo and Sylence
- Writers: Ne-Yo and Reginald “Reggie” Perry, a.k.a. Sylence
You can probably already guess it’s a love song by its title. If you have, then you’re right. The song has a mellow feel to it. It’s almost as if Ne-Yo is taking you somewhere; you’re just lost in the clouds with him. What Ne-Yo says about the song is,
“This is one of those songs I thought about for a while. The concept was what it would be like to be in a relationship with a real angel. Of course, it would be blissful, but no matter how much you love the angle, she could never really be yours because she belongs to God. Eventually, she’ll have to go back to heaven.”
Make It Work
- Producer: Shea Taylor
- Writers: Ne-Yo and Shea Taylor
If you’re in a relationship right now (or had a past one), you already know how much effort you must put in to make it last. If we both want this to last and be happy, we must put some work into it. That’s the motto of the song. Take this song and make it your anthem if you’re having a difficult time right now.
Say It
- Producers: Timothy Bloom and Ne-Yo
- Writers: Ne-Yo, Timothy Bloom, Shanelli Woodgett
The whole song uses dark tones and has a haunting vibe to it. The whispering definitely does not help, but anybody who doesn’t know better will think I’m describing something produced for a horror film. That is not the case at all.
It’s actually Ne-Yo’s way of inviting the girl to speak to him in one’s wildest dream. It’s one of those songs that just puts people in the mood. If you want the blunt side of it’s really the “Talk Dirty” (Jason Derulo) of the Because of You album, except this one is the tame and more refined version ( keep in mind I said more refined. I never said it didn’t have any vulgar lines.) No, it’s the Ne-Yo version. One can only guess what that means.
Go On Girl
- Produced: Stargate and Ne-Yo
- Writers: Ne-Yo, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, and Amund Bjorklund
The last song and single on the album is Go On Girl. He ends the Because of You album (the U.S. version) with the story of him starting to fall in love with this girl, and all she turned out to be was a player. Ne-Yo shrugs it off and tells the girl, “I’ll be fine. You go on and continue with your life, and I’ll continue with mine.”
What you may not know about the song is this was Ne-Yo’s answer to Beyonce’s Irreplaceable. What I mean by that is he said to Billboard that,
“A lot of baby daddies, boyfriends, and husbands were mad at me because of “Irreplaceable,” so I had to do something geared toward the fellas, empowering the guys a little bit.”
Music Video Fun Facts
- Hype Williams directed the video (the same man who directed Aaliyah’s Rock the Boat video and who people associate with her death.)
- America’s Next Top Model’s Cycle 6 competitor, Jade Cole, plays a role in it.
Conclusion
I must say, I truly enjoyed the Because of You album, although I will admit there are a few songs I wasn’t feeling. Here are my top 3 favorites:
3. Because of You
You probably think I’m crazy for putting this at number three, but I’m sorry. As soon as the first beat hits the speakers, I love that I can get into the groove immediately. I can’t relate to the song, but I can surely dance to it.
2. Leaving Tonight
I love the vocals. However, the conversation in the song is what captures my attention. It’s my favorite way for a duet to be sung. I find it one of the most unique songs on the album.
1. Go On Girl
Oddly I don’t have any memories as a child listening to this song as I do with other songs on the album, like Because of You. My mom would blare Irreplaceable in the car when I was a child, which would annoy me so badly (though I’m okay with it now; I’m just not a fan.) If I knew this song and why it was written back then, I would have counteracted Irreplaceable with this song so fast. Luckily for my mom, I didn’t. What gets me about Go On Girl is how the song is sung and the vocals in the background of the bridge.
Those are my top three. What are yours? Did you enjoy the Because of You album, or were you not diggin’ it? I would love to know your thoughts or any memories that were conjured up during this experience.