Ne-Yo Releases ‘Non-Fiction’

Ibrahim Khalil ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Shaffer Smith, commonly known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is a songwriter turned R &B artist out of Camden, Arkansas.

Ne-Yo was part of the group Envy before the start of his solo career.  His stage name was given to him by producer Big D. in reference to the popular movie character Neo in the Matrix.

He began his acclaimed musical journey writing and recording songs for the likes of Beyonce and Rihanna. In fact, he penned both Queen Bey’s 2000 smash hit “Irreplaceable” and Rihanna’s “Take a Bow.” Both songs went straight to number 1 on the charts.

His solo success in the charts occurred in 2004 with the release of his own albums.  Year of the Gentleman was released in 2008 and included the Grammy award winning song “Ms. Independent.”  Ne-Yo is was also featured on Pitbull’s hit, “Give Me Everything.”

After his initial successful endeavors, he spent some time collaborating with several singers including Cher Lloyd and Juicy Jay.

His 2015 release Non-Fiction is reminiscent of his R&B roots with an added mix of dance, and many influences from Michel Jackson to Stevie Wonder.

Non-Fiction‘s most notable songs include “One More” and “Who’s Taking You Home.” Anybody who is a die hard Ne-Yo fan will not want to miss the latest installment from this awesome R&B singer and songwriter.

Ne-Yo is currently touring in support of the album. If you’d like to sample his music for yourself he can be found on the following:

Spotify, Beats Music, iTunes and YouTube.