Ne-Yo has delivered his eighth studio album, Self Explanatory. The 13-track project is led by the R&B veteran’s standout singles, “U 2 Luv” featuring Jeremih and “Stay Down” featuring BLEU. Self Explanatory also features contributions from Trippie Redd and Zae France, Release in July 2022, it stands as Ne-Yo’s first project in four years, the longest hiatus of his career.
“So, I started this album process back in 2018 and then COVID happened, throwing a monkey wrench in everything and everyone’s situation — including mine. During the course of that time, there was a moment where I did get a little lost and I had to figure out where I fit in this new sound, look, and industry. I’m 42 years old, almost 43 years fresh over here,” Ne-Yo told Ty Cole of REVOLT at Essence Fest.
“I have two whole generations coming up behind me, so it was a moment where I was wondering if Ne-Yo even still fits in the industry. I had to realize that I am not in the business of selling records as that is a record label’s job. My job as a performer and a singer is to sing my heart out, make sure my art is genuine and real and deliver it to the world — let the world figure out what they want to do with it.”
This Friday, Ne-Yo’s fan base will figure out just what to do with his most recent LP. Check out the project in its entirety below.
