Ne-Yo’s pretty much done it all in his 31 years on this earth. Hailing from a musical family, he first made his mark as a songwriter before moving on to become the R&B singer/dancer/actor/music mogul powerhouse that he is today.
And yet, he’s only been to Hong Kong once – two years ago – when he made a surprise (and well received) appearance/performance at American singer-songwriter Coco Lee’s wedding. His appearance at Macau’s Club Cubic late last month marked his debut in the enclave.
While there, Ne-Yo played nearly a dozen songs before a thrilled audience who came to see what this formidable talent is really made of. Would he present some of the songs he’s written for legends like the late Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston; or contemporaries like Rihanna and Beyonce; or would he play a selection of hits from his five albums that have been nominated for Grammy Awards, and then some?
As it turns out, Ne-Yo was down for the latter during a late night set that was plagued by sound problems at the start. Once everything settled down, the sharp looking singer found the groove that had a mega crowd bopping along.
In person, Ne-Yo (aka Shaffer Chimere Smith) is slick, quick and respectful – a singer who is clearly used to having a microphone placed in front of him. During a short interview just before he went onstage, he told us about his collaborative work with Jackson, his upcoming album and, randomly, his fear of the Pyramids…
What was it like working with Michael Jackson? Did his artistry affect the way you create music?
Ne-Yo: The one thing that he would always say is that less is more, short and simple wins the race. It’s one thing to be poetic but it’s another thing to just get to the point. Say what it is that you’re trying to say. And if you say it with passion, then it really doesn’t matter what’s being said. So those words stuck with me and I use those concepts when writing songs even to this day.
And you have a new album due out in November….
Ne-Yo: No. We’ve pushed it back to the top of the year (2015). I’m kind of in this perfectionist phase right now where I need things to be all the way right. I’m listening to the album and I’m liking what I’m hearing, but there’s bits and pieces that I feel could be better. I feel like I would be doing a disservice to put out something that I wasn’t 100 percent confident with. I’m fixing stuff and adding bells and whistles here and there so, top of the year be looking good for the album.
You’ve been to Asia before. Do you like it and want to come here more often?
Ne-Yo: Absolutely. This is only my second time being here in Asia. I’ve always been a fan of Asian culture, huge, huge fan. I’d love to be able to come here and spend a little more time.
What has having your own production company taught you about how the music industry works?
Ne-Yo: It’s taught me about the mind of the artist versus the mind of an executive. It can sometimes be two different minds, speaking two totally different languages. I am absolutely an artist. Everybody knows that. I’m a senior Vice President of A&R for Motown Records. It’s definitely learning a new language.
In the realm of music, as an artist, you don’t think about what’s going to sell, what’s marketable, what genre of radio is going to play this. Is it rhythmic? Is it pop? You don’t really think like that when you go into a studio. You just go in there and you do what feels good. You go where your creative vibe takes you.
Whereas for an executive, these things matter. Do they have a look? And all of that stuff versus just paying attention to the talent. It’s hard for me to take something that I’m so passionate about and think about it in the realm of commerce, but I’m learning.
Let’s switch gears a bit. U2’s new album was given out free to all iTunes users. Do you feel this is a good move for recording artists?
Ne-Yo: (pause) I’m not saying it’s a bad idea. I feel like, to give music away free, it can be a good thing in regards to marketing. If you have music that you’re trying to sell later on, giving people a little taster is always a good thing. But then there’s always people that take advantage of that. You do something free one time and they expect all your music to be free. So now these people don’t want to buy the music that you’ve put out there to be bought. I don’t feel that that’s fair.
If you had 24 hours and you can go anywhere and do anything – travel is no barrier – where would you go?
Ne-Yo: One place? (pauses) Good question. It’s a tough one. I’m trying to think of where I’ve never been. Oh….I’ve never been to Egypt. I would love to go to Egypt and just experience the energy that’s flowing through that place. I don’t necessarily have to go in any of the pyramids, because I feel that that’s dangerous, but I would love to just be there and soak up that energy.
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