Ne-Yo’s ‘Non-Fiction’: Review Revue
Today’s the day: Ne-Yo‘s back with his sixth studio effort Non-Fiction (out now, January 27), a collection packed to the brim with collaborators, including David Guetta (“Who’s Taking You Home”), T.I., Schoolboy Q and Pitbull (“Time Of Our Lives”) as well as his 2014 hit “She Knows” with Juicy J.
The feature-stuffed record, inspired by true events, is also said to be Ne-Yo’s return to roots. In an interview with Billboard, he described the effort as “predominantly R&B,” explaining “I had a little stint with the dance music…but I had to go home on this one.” But did the critics enjoy his latest attempt?
Find out what music reviewers around the world had to say about Non-Fiction after the jump.
:: Slant Magazine did not enjoy the singer’s break from his prior concept records, giving the album two out of five stars: “Non-Fiction breaks from Ne-Yo’s past concept albums, 2008’s Year of the Gentlemen and 2010’s superb Libra Scale, by getting bogged down in dramaturgy: intros, interludes, a smattering of skits, and most disruptively, songs heavy on narratives the singer lacks the writing chops to develop beyond one-note character sketches.”
:: Essence found that Ne-Yo seemed to struggle with balancing all of the genres and features on one record, but still managed to produce a decent LP: “Overall, the album itself is solid and enjoyable but as a body of work, it is not as good as some of his previous albums including 2012’s R.E.D.”
:: The Boston Globe praised the song “Storytime” in particular for its salacious threesome-inspired storyline, but found that there weren’t enough hooks to fully enjoy the ride: “Production-wise, Ne-Yo is almost always fly on Non-Fiction. The gauzy synths and jittery rhythm tracks go down easy on ballads and uptempo tracks alike…alas, not enough of the songs have great tunes to go along with that production and vocal quality. Many of the lyrics bob along on a placid surface, in search of hooks to snatch them up and make them more dynamic.”
:: USA Today named Non-Fiction their Album Of The Week, giving the record 3 out of 4 stars: “Ultimately, the best tracks on Non-Fiction are the breezier ones, from the driving “Time Of Our Lives” — with a witty, exuberant Pitbull — to “Money Can’t Buy,” a sweetly nostalgic showcase for Ne-Yo’s fluid tenor.”
:: And finally, Rolling Stone gave the album two and a half out of five stars, finding the singer “aimlessly” veering between genres: “With younger, fresher soulmen like Miguel, Frank Ocean and the Weeknd on the scene, Ne-Yo has been left grasping for relevance.”
Eek. What did you think of Ne-Yo’s Non-Fiction? Sound off in the comments below.
