Ne-Yo overshadows recent controversy by performing his greatest hits as the latest musical guest of the popular concert series NPR’s Tiny Desk.
In his 23-minute set, the award-winning performer showcased his biggest hits, including “Because of You,” “So Sick,” “Sexy Love,” and “Miss Independent.” He was accompanied by a live band that featured a harp player.
Ne-Yo became arguably one of the greatest songwriters of a generation, writing memorable hits for superstars such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Mario, and more. “I’ve written a couple songs since I’ve been doing this thang,” the singer said before passing Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” to background singer, Pamela Westbrook.
Ne-Yo performed Mario’s “Let Me Love You” while his background singers sang Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable,” which he also wrote. He ended the set with his new track, “Two Million Secrets,” which took some time to develop.
At 14:52, he said, “This next song I want to do for ya’ll is a new song. This song took a little bit of growth on my part to even write and even more to sing. This song is basically about owning your sh*t. That’s the best way I can put it. Nobody is above mistakes. Nobody is above redemption. You do better, and you keep pushing.”
Ne-Yo rose to fame in 2006 with his debut album, In My Own Words. Among his 16 Grammy nominations, he has won three Grammys for Best R&B Album (2007), Best R&B Song (2009), and Best Male R&B Voca Performance (2008). He released his latest single, “Link Up,” earlier this year with a remix featuring Fabolous in March.
Ne-Yo’s Tiny Desk Setlist:
- “Because Of You”
- “So Sick”
- “Sexy Love”
- “Take a Bow”
- “Let Me Love You”
- “Irreplaceable”
- “Two Million Secrets”
- “Miss Independent”
Ne-Yo made headlines for his views on polygamy and assault allegations by his ex-girlfriend before Tiny Desk. Ne-Yo’s ex, Sade Bagnerise, recanted her allegations and publicly apologized to the singer.