IN CONVERSATION WITH NE-YO

interview by JANA LETONJA

Numéro Netherlands is thrilled to present NE-YO, gracing the cover of our 12th issue Aurora. The three-time Grammy award-winning hitmaker, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist has racked up a collection of global hits, including SEXY LOVE, BECAUSE OF YOU, MISS INDEPENDENT, and SO SICK. Recently, we’ve also been able to watch him star in 50 Cent’s series BMF, and compete and win the 10th season of the acclaimed reality show THE MASKED SINGER. His newest singles SHOW ME and 2 MILLION SECRETS are signaling a new era in his career, marking his first releases as an independent artist.

top and boots RICK OWENS
pants MANAAKI
beanie H&M
necklaces METL

Your debut single SO SICK was a massive success and marked the beginning of your incredible journey. What was your mindset when you released your first music, and how did it feel seeing all these songs hit No. 1 on the global charts?

My mindset when I released my first music was to be honest, a lot of fear. I didn't know how I was going to be perceived. In the beginning, before anything really happens, you understand that anything could happen, and then you start listening to people with their doubts, and then their doubts become your doubts. But we put the music out. It's funny because LA Reid, who at the time was president of Def Jam, kind of told me exactly how it was going to go down. He said “We're going to put out this one first”. And that was the song STAY. He said “This song is going to get their attention. And then once we've got their attention, we're going to hit them with SO SICK and that's going to keep their attention”.

SO SICK was clearly the better of the two songs, or at least the stronger, the more catchy of the two songs. So, when he told me we were going to drop STAY first, I was like “Why would we not drop the best song first?” He was like “It's like boxing. You want to hit him with the jab and then come with the knockout punch”. And sure enough, it happened just like that. To take my mind off of worrying about what was going to happen, I just kept recording, I just stayed in the studio. I am like whatever happens, happens. I'm not even going to focus on it. And next thing you know, I look up and SO SICK is number one for one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five. And it just kept going. It was kind of surreal because this is what I've been waiting on pretty much my whole life. And it's finally happening. And I wasn't exactly sure how to feel about it because it's one of those things where it's like if I get too excited, I'm going to wake up from this dream, and it's going to end. We had been moving for 10 years straight before I looked up and realized just how well we had done, and it's been an absolute blessing.

pants MANAAKI
top ERNEST W. BAKER

As someone who has written hit songs for artists like Rihanna, Mario and Beyoncé, what’s your process for penning a song for another artist compared to creating one for yourself?

There's really not a whole lot of difference. You want to try to make the song as catchy as humanly possible. You want to try to be witty, you want to try to be clever. But at the same time, Rihanna is not Beyoncé, Beyoncé's not Mario, Mario's not me. So there's definitely some importance in making sure that the song matches the said artist. I knew that LET ME LOVE YOU was going to be for Mario. Had I been writing it for myself, there's certain words and phrases that I might've used slightly different. But I knew it was going to be for him, so I wrote it a specific way. Same thing with Rihanna. I knew exactly who I was writing for in that moment. Not every writer has the luxury of knowing who you're writing for. And at that time, me and Rihanna were very close, so I could actually call her and go “How would you handle this situation? What would you say if this happened?” Or whatever the case may be. And then take those conversations and incorporate them into the song. 

The only one that kind of just happened different was actually Beyoncé's IRREPLACEABLE, because I initially wrote that song with the intention of singing it myself, but what I realized with that song is the importance of the message and the importance of the messenger. It's one thing, for example, for a guy to say “I could have another you in a minute. Matter of fact, she'll be here in a minute,” as it comes off a little misogynistic, a little egotistical, a little mean. But in the same scenario, when the guy cheated and now the woman's taking her power back, the words “I can have another you in a minute. Matter of fact, he'll be here in a minute,” come across a little more empowering. So, you take the same message and you switch the messenger and it almost changes the message. That's a lesson that I learned through that song, because it wasn't meant for her initially, but she took it and turned it into the hit that we now know and love. 

boots TO BOOT NEW YORK
necklace GIVENCHY
cowboy hat LOUIS VUITTON
sunglasses CELINE
gloves CARL ULYSSES

You recently released first singles as an independent artist. What led to this decision, and how does having full creative control differ from your previous work?

The major record labels have done very well for me over the years, but what you come across with a major label is you're kind of on their time, have to move according to their agenda, and heed their opinions. Even if you don't so much respect their opinion, you got to listen because you're under contract. You have to give some semblance of control away to the people at the label. After a while, I've been here near 20 years, it felt like at this point I kind of have a built in fan base, and I have a team of amazing people around me, and I don't really need the machine anymore. Like, we can kind of do it ourselves. So, we went ahead and did the independent thing, and I got to say, the freedom of it is everything I expected it to be.

Mind you, there are definitely difficulties in regards to being an independent artist. Certain costs that I never had to think about before are now 100% here in my face. But then, on the other side of the same card, the music industry has been very kind to me over the years. We got a couple singles out from an independent standpoint, and we just dropped a new one called SHOW ME. It's doing really well. It feels good to just be able to do whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it. I could record the song on Monday and drop it on Tuesday if I felt like it. I couldn't do that as a signed artist. I had to wait for them to say “All right, this is the timeline”. So yeah, I've been loving every minute of it.

coat COUPE DE LIBERTE
pants AMIRI
belt SAINT LAURENT
necklaces METL
hat STETSON

coat, turtle neck and pants DOLCE&GABANNA
hat STETSON
boots FEAR OF GOD

SHOW ME and 2 MILLION SECRETS are both part of a new chapter for you. How would you describe this new era in your music career, and what can fans expect from your music moving forward?

I came into this feeling very powerful. 2 MILLION SECRETS, of course, was a discussion about my divorce and basically me taking responsibility for my wrongs in that situation. I honestly don't know if that's something that I could have done years prior to it happening. It took some maturing on my part. I'm now at a level of maturity and a level of self-awareness that allows me to just be bluntly, painfully, brutally honest. It's not that I was lying in my music before or anything like that, it's just easier now to say “This is who the hell I am, love me or leave me alone.”

I'm not perfect. I've never claimed to be perfect. I have made mistakes that I'm not proud of, but I've learned from those mistakes and I'm better for it. And if you’re cool with that, if you rock with that, then come on in, the door's wide open. If you're not, you have multiple options with other music and other artists that you can pay attention to. That's the mindset now. I'm doing the music that I want to do, on a timeline that I'm comfortable with. And I feel like you can hear the freedom in this new music. I'm not afraid to speak on the realities of my life right now. And unapologetically, I am who I am, and that's all I'm going to be. 

sweater, pants and boot ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
fedora HAMPUI HATS

We've been able to watch you compete and win the 10th season of THE MASKED SINGER. Tell us more about your experience on the show, and how exciting was it being masked, with judges and audiences being left guessing who does this amazing voice belong to?

First and foremost, there was a lot of method to the madness. They gave me the option at the beginning to be a male cow or a female cow. I know my voice, and I know it is somewhat distinctive. And I felt like if I did the male cow, I might've got discovered a little faster. So that's why I decided to try the female cow. I was like, let me figure out how to walk like a woman as best as I could. 

The process of that show is weird, but cool, but kind of creepy. When you don't have on your costume, you are literally walking around in a big hoodie with the words “Don't talk to me” across the front of you, with gloves on and a visor on so nobody can see your face. Nobody can hear your, can see any part of your body, nobody knows who anybody is. The only people that know are the choreographer, your assigned producer, and the vocal coaches, as before every song you work with a vocal coach that helps you get more comfortable with the record. I had no idea who anybody else was until the show came out, and you see people get revealed. It's a real well-oiled machine over there. They're very good at making sure that nobody knows anything that they're not supposed to know. And it was really creepy because you walk down the halls and you see another person wearing what you wearing, walking towards you, and it's just “Oh my God, who could this be?” I will say, I got to give props to the people that make those costumes. They make all those costumes in house from scratch, and they are absolutely amazing at what they do.

I will say this though, it was a little hard to see in my costume. There was a couple of scenes that they had to edit because I'm supposed to walk up and down some steps, and I stumbled a couple times, so we had to cut and do it over. And the outfits also don't breathe very well, so it's real hot. I think it speaks to the trueness of your artistry if you can put on that much additional pressure and still get the job done. 

jacket, belt and boots ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
jeans PURPLE BRAND
gloves SERMONETA
hat STETSON

Your iconic NPR Tiny Desk performance gathered 13 million views in 9 months. What was the most special thing about this performance, and how does the Tiny Desk concept of performance differ from performing on a stage of a sold out arena in your experience?

If you can do Tiny Desk, you are a true artist because there is no safety net in there. Nowadays, they got technology where you can put auto-tune on the microphone. And in some of these bigger concerts where it's like arenas and stadiums, a lot of artists use that. I'm not criticizing nobody that does, because sometimes you need it. At Tiny Desk, you are on your own. What you sound like is what you get. And if you can't really sing, I would not recommend doing Tiny Desk. The place is even smaller than it looks. There wouldn't even be room for them to set up the technology for you to try to cheat. 

One of the things that was really special about mine is that they told me that my audience was one of the biggest that they had, so that was really cool. I do not normally work with background singers, but I got the opportunity to work with three amazing background singers, who I still keep in contact with. I'm planning on using them on my next tour. But yeah, I'm no fool in regard to what I can do. I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses. Tiny Desk really speaks to who you are as an artist. 

You’ve also transitioned from music to acting with notable roles in EMPIRE and THE WIZ LIVE!. How did your experience as a musician influence your approach to acting?

The two are very similar in that when you're on stage, you definitely invoke a character. The guy that you see walking around, going to Target, is not the same guy that you see on stage. It’s basically the like Superman versus Clark Kent, and acting is pretty much that same concept. You have to really and truly step outside of who you are and become somebody else. Not act like somebody else, but genuinely become somebody else. And that’s the really true and and powerful thing about actors, when you look at a screen and you don't see that person, you only see the character they're portraying. 

That's kind of what I told myself I was going to pride myself on if I was going to try the acting thing. I enjoy the acting thing, but if I was going to take that full on serious as a career, I would probably be behind the camera. I'd probably be the guy writing a script or producing, or directing. That's where my passion lies in regard to that. Again, I like acting, but it's not instant gratification enough to me like the way music is. With music, you have an idea, you go in the studio, you sing it, you record it, you listen back to it that same night. But for TV and film, you'll shoot something and not hear anything for two years, three years, four years. And then finally it'll come out and you got to be reminded “Oh yeah, we did do that, didn't we?” But again, I do love the concept of stepping out of my shoes for a minute and seeing how convincing I can be as somebody else. I dig that.

You’re known for strong passion for dance and performance. What role does dance and movement play in your artistic expression?

The two go hand in hand. I am aware that, if I wanted to, I could be one of those singers that just stands in one place and sings a song, but I don't think I'd be able to. I don't think my body would let me do that. A lot of the moves that you see me do on stage are just second nature. I'm not thinking about what I'm doing, it's just happening. When it's something that you don't have to think about, when it's something that just comes naturally like that, I feel that's when you are being your most genuine self. Being yourself should not require effort and that's how I know I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

You're currently on tour with Mary J. Blige and Mario as part of the FOR MY FANS TOUR. How was the idea of touring together born, what do you love the most about touring with Mary and Mario, and what has been your favorite part of the tour so far?

I've worked with Mary before. She’s one of the most amazing artists that I've ever worked with. And aside from an artist, Mary is a great person. My and Mary’s sessions would normally wind up feeling kind of like therapy sessions where you sit and you talk about life, love, relationships, and might shed a tear. I got a call out of the blue from management one day and they said “Hey, so top of the year, we’re going on tour with Mary J. Blige”. And I didn't argue. And Mario, I think this will be the third tour that we've done together at this point. It's just something about the combination that works. Mario has one of the best voices in music, if I do say so myself, and I don't think he gets the flowers he deserves, but they're coming. 

When they told me it was going to be him, me and her, I felt like this just makes perfect sense. This is an R&B lovers’ tour, but even bigger than that, this is just a music lovers’ tour. If you are a lover of melody, you will definitely enjoy what's happening on this tour. And I've been loving it. 

jacket, belt and boots ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
jeans PURPLE BRAND
gloves SERMONETA
hat STETSON

Last year, you received the Key to the City of Las Vegas and a formal proclamation from Las Vegas mayor that officially designated 7th August as NE-YO Day. What did receiving this honor mean to you in the city you were raised in?

When it happened, I was shocked as hell. My entire team knew that that was going to happen, but nobody told me. I think we got through maybe one song, and then everything just stopped. And I'm like “Okay, got to be a technical difficulty or something”. I just wait it out, and then the mayor walks on stage with a microphone, and I'm like “Okay, what the heck is going on right now?” So then she proclaims the day and hands me the key, and it literally took everything for me to not cry in that moment. I knew we had a whole show to finish, so I held it together, but it was a very proud moment. I grew up in Las Vegas, went to high school here, my first taste of the stage was here. I spent the whole summer as an understudy on a show called EFX that was at the MGM Grand. In this city, I learned to get up there and deliver – not just stand there and sing with your eyes closed or staring off into space – but to truly connect with people. So to receive that, I was beyond honored. 

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shirt STYLIST’S OWN
pants AMIRI
jacket SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO
necklace METL

As someone who has achieved so much success, what would you say is your most proud moment in your career, whether it’s a personal milestone or a professional achievement?

I kind of have to answer this in sections, because of who I was when I first started this versus who I was when the success came versus who I am now. Three totally different people. When I first started, the proudest moment was getting a record deal. Before I actually got signed to Def Jam, I moved around a little bit with another management team, trying to get a record deal. I actually got signed to Columbia Records, but that record deal wound up falling through because they wanted me to be somebody that I just wasn't. I started rebelling against that and they put me on the shelf for like two years. When I finally got out of there, I was down, and at that point is when I met my current managers. The memory that stands out the most about when I met Tango is that he didn't have a radio in his truck. The guy literally used to ride around in complete silence, so I'm like “How are you going to manage my music career when you don't even listen to music?” Like, how is that going to work? And he said to me is “I don't know anything about music, but I know product and I know how to sell. I know a star when I see one.” Our first “contract” wasn't a contract, it was a handshake. He was like “Listen, if I don't do anything for you in six months, hands washed, you go your way, I go mine.” We were in New York, kind of shopping music at the time. It wasn't even so much about getting a record deal, it was about getting me out there as a writer first. We went to the Def Jam offices just so the producer friend of mine that I was with at the time could meet up with a friend of his that he went to high school with. We didn't go in there looking for a record deal, didn't even really go in there for music. Before we go back to the hotel, he said “My home girl works here. Let's let me go up and say hi to her.” So we went up to say hi to her, and she just happened to be Tina Davis, who at the time was the head of Def Jam Music. Long story short, she puts me in front of LA Reid that very same day, and by the time we left the building, I had a record deal. And the rest is history. 

Then, winning my first Grammy was a super proud moment. I spent a whole lot of time watching the Grammys as a kid, saying to myself “One day I'm going to be on that stage. One day I'm going to walk across that stage and I'm going to hold the Grammy and I'm going to thank my mom, and I'm going to thank God, and all of that.” The day that I won a Grammy was the day that I learned that there are Grammy categories that are not televised. The category that I won for wasn't televised, so I didn't get to walk across the stage and thank my mom, and thank God. I've won three times, and all three times has been the categories not televised. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. A Grammy is a Grammy. I got three of them. But that just means I got a little bit more work to do because I got to get on that stage and, and say “I want to thank my mom and I want to thank God.” 

Bringing it current, I'm an independent artist moving around. I'm touring. I'm doing what I'm doing. Success for me now has nothing to do with money, has nothing to do with record sales and all of that. Success for me now is knowing that my music is making a positive impact on the lives of the people that are listening. We do meet and greets at every stop on the tour, And people run up to me and say things like “Our first dance at our wedding was to one of your songs. When I graduated college, I was listening to CHAMPAGNE LIFE”, or something like that. And that is success to me now, because at the end of the day, this whole thing is about connecting with people. 

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trench coat ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
jeans COUPE DE LIBERTE
hat STETSON
boots GOLDEN GOOSE

right
shirt TAAKK
sunglasses SAINT LAURENT
beanie H&M

jacket and pants EZR BRAND
belt CUSTOM H. LORENZO
hat STETSON
boots BALLY
gloves SERMONETA

Looking ahead, what are some personal goals or new projects that you’re excited to explore in the future?

I am in the process of writing a script right now. It's kind of a sci-fi action love story type of thing. I won't go too far into it because I don't like to count chickens before they hatch, but working on that, and got some people really interested in that. 

As far as music, I’m never going to stop doing music. I'm in the process now of putting together what will eventually be a album. But as of right now, just because I can, I'm going song by song. I'm just putting songs out, letting people feel what Ne-Yo feels like now. In the months to come, I'll put it all together and drop an album. And then, more touring. I'll circle the globe three times at this point. As long as people keep coming to come see me, I'm going to keep showing up. 

My kids are getting into music now, which is really exciting. My daughter is 14 and her musical taste is amazing. She'll put me on the spot because of an artist that I didn't even know existed, and I'm the most uncool person ever because I’ve never heard of them. I just love that she has made music so important in her life, because I feel like it's an outlet. With all my kids, I was 100% prepared to be the showbiz dad. I was going to push them towards music, but by the grace of God, I don't have to as they do it themselves. They literally sit around a table and make up songs. It's just exciting for me to sit back and watch them be so excited about something that has meant so much to me my whole life.

boots TO BOOT NEW YORK
necklace GIVENCHY
cowboy hat LOUIS VUITTON
sunglasses CELINE
gloves CARL ULYSSES

TEAM CREDITS:

talent NE-YO 
photography JACK WATERLOT
styling JEREMY HAYNES 
grooming ESHA LEE 
set design LIZZIE LANG 
production GTS PRODUCTION
dp RYAN WERMICH 
pr agency VITAL VERSATILITY
styling assistants TAYO FAJEMISIN, MELISSA TEJEDA and JACQUAN SHOWELL
editor TIMI LETONJA 
casting TIMI LETONJA and JANA LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA 
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN