It's official: class has replaced sex as the new theme of R&B. Ne-Yo's third album, Year of the Gentleman, pays tribute to the unparalleled style of the Rat Pack. I think it's safe to assume Sinatra and Davis Jr., are sharing a chuckle in heaven.
Like every other R&B artist, Ne-Yo makes his case as the perfect boyfriend, but the difference between this and anything you might hear from T-Pain's Auto-Tune is you actually believe Ne-Yo.
Gentleman begins in a club: Ne-Yo meets the girl of his dreams, but something's not right. Our suave protagonist deals with arguments in "Mad," suggestions of negligence in "Miss Independent" and, finally, infidelity on "Lie to Me," all the while trying to put a positive spin on a bad situation with his trademark smooth speak.
But it's all about the rhythm on Year of the Gentleman.
Case in point: "Single" fades in just like any other R&B ballad until the quarter-note bass line pops. Suddenly, an otherwise cliche song about "being your boyfriend" is transformed into what may very well be the foundation for the best club hit this year. Get on that, Girl Talk.
Production really shines on "So You Can Cry." After a dreary acoustic guitar introduction, upbeat drums kick in, and you can't help feeling happier. But still, Ne-Yo laments, "I'll ask the sun to shine away from you today so you can cry/If that's what you want, all right." Cute.
Sure, it may appear to be another sappy R&B album, but all in all, Ne-Yo's Gentleman shows us that there's more to romance than just getting the girl back to your room. Are relationships really, dare I say, complex entities? I guess R. Kelly had it all wrong: it's not all about just "feelin' on your booty."
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