Because of You (Ne-Yo album)
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''Because of You'' is the second
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American singer and songwriter
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
. It was released by Compound Entertainment and
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
on April 25, 2007 in the United States. Ne-Yo reteamed with many previous collaborators to work on the follow-up to his debut album ''
In My Own Words ''In My Own Words'' is the debut studio album of American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on February 28, 2006. Conceived following his songwriting breakthrough with " Let Me Love You" for fellow R&B singer Mario in ...
'' (2006), involving Ron "Neff-U" Feemster,
StarGate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
, and
Shea Taylor Robert "Shea" Taylor is a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. He established an early successful songwriting partnership with Def Jam's R&B singer-songwriter phenom Ne-Yo, and has also worked with Rihanna, Beyoncé ...
, as well as new and upcoming musicians such as The Heavyweights,
Eric Hudson Eric Hudson (born October 15, 1986) is an American and Grammy award-winning music producer. His parents are Curtis and Phyllis Bivins-Hudson. Curtis is a songwriter and producer, and most notably the co-writer of Madonna's song " Holiday", co-wr ...
,
Timothy Bloom Timothy Bloom is a two time Grammy Award winning American alternative soul singer-songwriter and record producer. Career He began his career as a songwriter and producer, writing and producing Grammy Award-winning songs for both Ne-Yo ("Say ...
,
Knobody Jerome Foster, better known as Knobody, is an American music producer and A&R. Knobody has produced records across different genres including soul, R&B, hip hop and rock for several multi-platinum artists including Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Akon, The Game ...
, and
Syience Reginald "Reggie" Perry, better known as Syience, is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, record producer and musician from Flint, Michigan. He has worked with a number of recognizable and respected artists, including Beyoncé, Cheryl Col ...
. Next to them, ''Because of You'' features guest vocal contributions from rapper
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
on "Crazy" and fellow R&B singer
Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
on "Leaving Tonight". ''Because of You'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
charts, selling over 250,000 copies in its first week, and was later certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). It also reached the top ten in Canada and the United Kingdom but was commercially less successful than ''In My Own Words'' elsewhere. Released to generally positive reviews from most music critics, who complimented the album for the advancement over its predecessor, it won the
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary ...
at the
50th Annual Grammy Awards The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonies ...
in February 2008.


Critical reception

At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 74, which indicates "generally favorable" reviews, based on 14 critics. ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
''s Colin McGuire found that with ''Because of You'' Ne-Yo "relishes in his disgust for a sophomore slump by fighting back with an album that leaves his first solo effort so far in the dust". He felt that the album "might end up being the best R&B album of the year." Similarly,
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
editor Andy Kellman noted that "the key to the album's potency and freshness is its differences from ''In My Own Words'' ..Making it to number one on your own, writing a major hit for one of the planet's most popular entertainers, and qualifying as the heir to
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...
can have that effect." In his review for ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'',
Nathan Rabin Nathan Rabin (; born April 24, 1976) is an American film and music critic. Rabin was the first head writer for ''The A.V. Club'', a position he held until he left the ''Onion'' organization in 2013.
wrote that the album "is a real sleeper that reveals considerable strengths upon repeat listens ..Best of all, with a running time of just over 59 minutes, ''Because of You'' is largely devoid of filler, and it never threatens to wear out its welcome." Simon Vozick-Levinson from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' noted that "indeed, the album is an unmistakable attempt to channel
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's early work such as ''
Off the Wall ''Off the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and t ...
'' ..and the effort often pays off beautifully ..Ne-Yo's lithe
falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
puts the many others who've been labeled Jackson-esque to shame."
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
also compared the album's sensual ballads to
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
.
Kelefa Sanneh Kelefa T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', covering the rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes. Since 2008 he has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorke ...
, writer for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', found that Ne-Yo "got a silky voice and a clear knack for chronicling obsessive love and lust; maybe one day he’ll create a half-crazed R&B masterpiece. But in the meantime, ''Because of You'' is a likable little album: 12 girl-crazy songs from a boy who can stop anytime he wants. Honest."


Commercial performance

''Because of You'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 251,000 copies on its first week of release. ''Because of You'' is Ne-Yo's second number-one album. The album has shipped one million units in the US. It has sold over 1,630,000 copies in the United States alone. It spawned four singles: "
Because Of You Because of You may refer to: Music Albums * ''Because of You'' (James Darren album), 2001 * ''Because of You'' (Ne-Yo album), 2007, and the title song (see below) * ''Because of You'' (Tony Bennett album), 1952, and the title song, a cover ...
", " Do You", " Can We Chill", and "
Go On Girl "Go On Girl" is a song written by Ne-Yo, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind and Amund Bjørklund, for Ne-Yo's second studio album '' Because of You''. It was released to radio as the fourth single on December 4, 2007. It peaked a ...
". "Leaving Tonight" was released as a radio single.


Track listing

;Notes * signifies a co-producer *"Leaving Tonight" contains elements of " Baby Come Close" written by
Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...
,
Marvin Tarplin Marvin Tarplin (June 13, 1941 – September 30, 2011) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their bigges ...
, Pamela Moffett-Young, and performed by Smokey Robinson.


Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes. *Marcus Allen – producer (track 4) *David Barnett – viola (tracks 4, 11) * Timothy "Keys" Bloom – producer (track 11) *Jeff Chestek – engineer (track 4) *
Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to: * Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor * Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter * Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer * Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...
– mastering *Joe Davi – guitar and bass (track 6) *Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing (tracks 2–11) *Andrew Dawson – engineer (track 9) *
Mikkel S. Eriksen Mikkel is a Danish and Norwegian masculine given name. It may refer to: * Mikkel Ødelien (1893–1984), Norwegian soil researcher * Mikkel Aaland (born 1952), award-winning American photographer * Mikkel Andersen (disambiguation) *Mikkel Bødker ...
– producer, engineer, and all instruments (tracks 1, 12) * Ron "Neff-U” Feemstar – producer (track 2) *Larry Gold – string arrangement and production (tracks 4, 11) *Jaymz Hardy-Martin III – engineer (tracks 4, 11) *
Tor Erik Hermansen Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to: Places * Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain * Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city * Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano * Tor Bay, Devon, England * Tor River, Western New Guinea, Indonesia Sc ...
– producer and all instruments (tracks 1, 12) *Ricardo "Slick" Hinkson – assistant engineer (tracks 4, 7, 10, 11) *Bob Horn – engineer (track 2) *Josh Houghkirk – assistant mixing engineer (tracks 1, 12) *
Eric Hudson Eric Hudson (born October 15, 1986) is an American and Grammy award-winning music producer. His parents are Curtis and Phyllis Bivins-Hudson. Curtis is a songwriter and producer, and most notably the co-writer of Madonna's song " Holiday", co-wr ...
– producer and all instruments (tracks 3, 7) *
Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
– vocals (track 6) *
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
– rap (track 2) *Gloria Justen – violin (tracks 4, 11) *
Knobody Jerome Foster, better known as Knobody, is an American music producer and A&R. Knobody has produced records across different genres including soul, R&B, hip hop and rock for several multi-platinum artists including Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Akon, The Game ...
– producer (track 6) *Olga Konopelsky – violin (tracks 4, 11) *Emma Kummrow – violin (tracks 4, 11) *Danielle Laport – additional recording (track 10) *
Espen Lind Espen Lind (born 13 May 1971) is a Norwegian record producer, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is one half of the production team Espionage, and together with his long time partner Amund Bjorklund he has written and/or produced ...
– guitar (track 12) *Jennie Lorenzo – cello (tracks 4, 11) *
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
– vocals (all tracks), co–producer (tracks 1, 3–12) *Deepu Panjwani – assistant engineer (tracks 4, 7, 10, 11) *
Syience Reginald "Reggie" Perry, better known as Syience, is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, record producer and musician from Flint, Michigan. He has worked with a number of recognizable and respected artists, including Beyoncé, Cheryl Col ...
– producer (track 9) *Melvin Sparkman – producer (track 4) *Brian Springer – engineer (track 9) *Brian Sumner – engineer (track 3) *Igor Szwec – violin (tracks 4, 11) *
Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American music and audio engineer. Early life and education Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in the U.S., where he attained a degree in Recording Arts in 1990. Afterwards he moved to Atla ...
– mixing (tracks 1, 12) *
Shea Taylor Robert "Shea" Taylor is a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. He established an early successful songwriting partnership with Def Jam's R&B singer-songwriter phenom Ne-Yo, and has also worked with Rihanna, Beyoncé ...
– producer and guitar (tracks 5, 8, 10), saxophone and horns (track 5) *Michael Tocci – engineer (all tracks) *Shane "Bermuda" Woodley – assistant mixing engineer (tracks 2–11), engineer (tracks 3, 7)


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References


External links

*
Because of You
' at
Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Album review
at
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Because Of You (Ne-Yo Album) 2007 albums Ne-Yo albums Albums produced by Ne-Yo Albums produced by Eric Hudson Albums produced by Jay-Z Albums produced by Stargate Albums produced by Theron Feemster Def Jam Recordings albums Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album