I think they want me to hold these songs that I’ve written until she finishes going through her thing. “We set up no less than four sessions for Britney to just come and listen to the songs I wrote for her,” Ne-Yo says. “But you can only do that for so long, so I said I’ll do the same thing for Whitney that I’m doing for Celine, which is to bring them to the everyday person.”Īnd while working with all of these stars has been a great experience, Ne-Yo says, at least one recently shorn starlet might want to read the following as even more inspiration to get her personal life in order. “They played me about eight tracks that were all very ‘I’m Whitney and I’ve been through some things and now I’m triumphant,”’ Ne-Yo says. Ne-Yo’s also writing for Whitney Houston, and once again looking to buck expectations. “It’s not about convincing people that you’re younger than you are.” “For someone like Celine, it’s about writing a song that’s timeless,” Ne-Yo says. Now A-listers like Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Brown, Nicole Sherzinger and Whitney Houston are all clamoring for a Ne-Yo track. Two of his hits, Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” and Mario’s “Let Me Love You,” have spent a combined 19 weeks at No. What most in the industry have come to know, fans are just realizing: Ne-Yo is off to a prolific start as a go-to R&B hit writer. When his second album, “Know Me,” comes out April 24, few are predicting a slump.Īt least in some part, this is due to Ne-Yo’s impressive strength as a songwriter.

He crafted his own heartbreak into the song “So Sick,” which spent two weeks at No. His debut album for Def Jam, “In My Own Words,” moved 301,000 copies in its first week last February and 1.4 million to date, and showcased his deft songwriting touch. Most folks now know him as a recording star. Ne-Yo might be laughing at himself, but his career - once derailed when he was dropped by Columbia Records - is no joke these days. “I swear, me and my friends just sit around quoting ‘Anchorman,’ ‘Nacho Libre’ and ‘Napoleon Dynamite.’ Those three movies are so funny.” “I’m kind of important,” Ne-Yo jokes, in a mock deep voice that emulates newsman Ron Burgundy, played to such spectacular ridiculousness in the movie “Anchorman” by Will Ferrell. Ne-Yo, once derailed when he was dropped by Columbia Records, is no joke these days. R&B artist Ne-Yo speaks at a news conference announcing the nominees for the BET Awards 2006 in Hollywood May 16, 2006.

Neyo do you ever