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Going by this high-concept return, it’s apparent that Ne-Yo was not strictly invested in the output of others -- Rihanna, Raheem DeVaughn, Monica, Rick Ross, and Fantasia, to name a few -- after the release of Year of the Gentleman. Although Libra Scale sounds like a natural extension of the singer/songwriter’s three-album 2006-2008 run, its germination started with a short story, which inspired the ten songs. Some of the details were revealed in the videos for the singles, as well as the album’s booklet, containing a comic put together with living legend Stan Lee. Disregard the dressing, and Libra Scale can be heard as a standard Ne-Yo album. It does not sound like a soundtrack for a story about three garbage men who must protect their city -- there are no character themes, likely for the better -- but one can hear most of the material being expressed by the protagonist as he lives it up, develops a relationship, and deals with the consequences. Most of Libra Scale consists of Ne-Yo's typical modern uptown R&B, with the relaxed, upscale party anthem “Champagne Life,” the sweet devotional “One in a Million,” and the private-reflecting-pond ballad “What Have I Done?” the standouts. “Beautiful Monster,” a Euro-flavored dance-pop single full of drama, is the only song that sounds out of place (and it stalled in the 60s of the Billboard R&B chart). The level of sophistication -- arrangements with subtle details, the frequency of slow tempos, a couple well-trodden motifs -- lends itself to a couple tepid tunes, but Ne-Yo remains a premier source of R&B that is both traditional and contemporary.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, MainArtist - Jerel Lake, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - David Gough, Drums, Programmer, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - David Dorohn Gough, Producer - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin "KD“ Davis, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dywane Thomas Jr., Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Derrick White, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Curtis Wilson, ComposerLyricist - Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - ROCHAD HOLIDAY, Producer, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sauce, Producer, Additional Keyboards, Additional Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sixx Johnson, Producer, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Jesse Wilson, ComposerLyricist - Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Anthony Reyes, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jesse "Corporal" Wilson, Producer, Programmer
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Erick Coomes, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Tyler Coomes, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Fabolous, FeaturedArtist - Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - JOHN JACKSON, ComposerLyricist - Brent Paschke, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ryan Leslie, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Charles Harmon, ComposerLyricist - Chuck Harmony, Producer - Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, MainArtist - Mike "TrakGuru" Johnson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jerel Lake, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Syience, Producer - Reginald Perry, ComposerLyricist - Samuel Jean, ComposerLyricist - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin "KD“ Davis, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Alain Biamby, ComposerLyricist - Joel Augustin, ComposerLyricist - Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jerel Lake, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jackpot, Producer - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin "KD“ Davis, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Tor Erik Hermansen, ComposerLyricist - Mikkel S. Eriksen, ComposerLyricist - Mikkel Eriksen, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Josh Houghkirk, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - PHIL TAN, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Sandy Vee, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Carlos Oyanedel, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sandy Wilhelm, ComposerLyricist - StarGate, Producer - Damien Lewis, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Shaffer Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ne-Yo, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jerel Lake, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - David Gough, ComposerLyricist - David Dorohn Gough, Producer - Jaymz Hardy Martin III, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin "KD“ Davis, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Album review
Going by this high-concept return, it’s apparent that Ne-Yo was not strictly invested in the output of others -- Rihanna, Raheem DeVaughn, Monica, Rick Ross, and Fantasia, to name a few -- after the release of Year of the Gentleman. Although Libra Scale sounds like a natural extension of the singer/songwriter’s three-album 2006-2008 run, its germination started with a short story, which inspired the ten songs. Some of the details were revealed in the videos for the singles, as well as the album’s booklet, containing a comic put together with living legend Stan Lee. Disregard the dressing, and Libra Scale can be heard as a standard Ne-Yo album. It does not sound like a soundtrack for a story about three garbage men who must protect their city -- there are no character themes, likely for the better -- but one can hear most of the material being expressed by the protagonist as he lives it up, develops a relationship, and deals with the consequences. Most of Libra Scale consists of Ne-Yo's typical modern uptown R&B, with the relaxed, upscale party anthem “Champagne Life,” the sweet devotional “One in a Million,” and the private-reflecting-pond ballad “What Have I Done?” the standouts. “Beautiful Monster,” a Euro-flavored dance-pop single full of drama, is the only song that sounds out of place (and it stalled in the 60s of the Billboard R&B chart). The level of sophistication -- arrangements with subtle details, the frequency of slow tempos, a couple well-trodden motifs -- lends itself to a couple tepid tunes, but Ne-Yo remains a premier source of R&B that is both traditional and contemporary.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:22
- Main artists: Ne-Yo
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Def Soul
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group ℗ 2010 The Island Def Jam Music Group
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