Album Review: Ne-Yo - R.E.D.

This is Ne-Yo's fifth album. His fortieth birthday is closer than his thirtieth. And few genres have seen such a violent upheaval as R&B has in the past two years. The sand is shifting under our host's feet and it shows.

To be an R&B fan once meant being a fan of songs like Let Me Love You, R.E.D.'s lead single. Despite Sia's co-writing credit, this is the sort of by-the-numbers, gently inoffensive crooning that once claimed the hearts of tweenage girls worldwide. Now, when compared to compelling releases from the likes of The-Dream, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean, its emptiness is stark. Forever Now is similarly disappointing. So too Carry On.

Happily, there are two sides to this story. Don't Make Em Like You is compelling power pop. It was once said of Billy Jean that it had so many hooks – so many mini-moments to cling to – that its commanding success was all but inevitable. It's a lesson Ne-Yo has gone some way to learning on this jam. Less than a minute in we have accepted an invitation to “Clap for her”, we have a hypnotic “Hey-hey-o-hey”, and magical drums are capped off by a screwy intro. Plus, Wiz Khalifa spits a useful guest verse, made all the more intriguing by the fact it is about Kanye's ex and Wiz's current flame Amber Rose. Cracks In Mr Perfect, an initial contender for title track, is cheeky and engaging. “I hate to see you shine,” Ne-Yo admits. “Especially if your shine is outshining mine.” Jealous is neat too. More moments like this and Ne-Yo might enjoy a little more shine. But as it stands, there's as much tunnel as there is light.