Studio Album · No. 2
Because of You Songwriting Credits by Ne-Yo
Produced by Stargate, Ne-Yo, Ron "Neff-U" Feemster, Eric Hudson, The Heavyweights, Shea Taylor, Knobody, Syience, Timothy Bloom · Engineered by Phil Tan, Kevin "KD" Davis, Tom Coyne
Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ne-Yo carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Because of You is a songwriter's album disguised as a pop-R&B record. Ne-Yo carries a writing credit on all twelve tracks, so the lyricist column is his on every song, and the composer column lists his legal name Shaffer Chimere Smith throughout. What changes track to track is the collaborator he builds the song around. Stargate, the duo of Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, frame the record with the title track and the closer 'Go On Girl,' while Eric Hudson, Shea Taylor, and Knobody handle the middle. The guest writers cluster on two songs: Jay-Z adds his own bars to 'Crazy,' and 'Leaving Tonight' folds in a Motown-era interpolation that pulls Smokey Robinson, Marvin Tarplin, and Pamela Moffett-Young into the credits. The production is shared, but the pen is almost entirely Ne-Yo's, which is the defining trait of his catalog.
Because of You is the second studio album by Ne-Yo, released in April 2007 on Def Jam Recordings and his own Compound Entertainment imprint. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 251,000 first-week copies and was led by the title track, a number two Billboard Hot 100 hit produced by the Norwegian team Stargate. Ne-Yo co-wrote every song on the record, building the album with a rotating cast of producers that included Stargate, Eric Hudson, Shea Taylor, and Knobody. Guests are sparse and pointed, with Jay-Z rapping on 'Crazy' and Jennifer Hudson trading vocals on 'Leaving Tonight.' The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Grammy ceremony and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It confirmed Ne-Yo as one of the era's central R&B songwriters, a singer who wrote his own material rather than performing songs handed to him.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Because of You
#2
|
Ne-YoTor Erik HermansenMikkel Eriksen | Shaffer Chimere SmithTor Erik HermansenMikkel Storleer Eriksen | StargateNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Crazy
|
Ne-YoRon FeemsterJay-Z | Shaffer Chimere SmithRonald FeemsterShawn Carter | Ron "Neff-U" Feemster | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals)Jay-Z (Featured Vocals) |
| 3 |
Can We Chill
|
Ne-YoEric Hudson | Shaffer Chimere SmithEric Hudson | Eric HudsonNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Do You
#26
|
Ne-YoMarcus AllenMelvin Sparkman | Shaffer Chimere SmithMarcus AllenMelvin Sparkman | The HeavyweightsNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Addicted
|
Ne-YoShea Taylor | Shaffer Chimere SmithShea Taylor | Shea TaylorNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Leaving Tonight
|
Ne-YoJerome FosterJoe DaviSmokey RobinsonMarvin TarplinPamela Moffett-Young | Shaffer Chimere SmithJerome FosterJoe DaviWilliam RobinsonMarvin TarplinPamela Moffett-Young | KnobodyNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals)Jennifer Hudson (Featured Vocals) |
| 7 |
Ain't Thinking About You
|
Ne-YoEric Hudson | Shaffer Chimere SmithEric Hudson | Eric HudsonNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Sex With My Ex
|
Ne-YoShea Taylor | Shaffer Chimere SmithShea Taylor | Shea TaylorNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Angel
|
Ne-YoReginald Perry | Shaffer Chimere SmithReginald Perry | SyienceNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Make It Work
|
Ne-YoShea Taylor | Shaffer Chimere SmithShea Taylor | Shea TaylorNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Say It
|
Ne-YoTimothy BloomShanell Woodgett | Shaffer Chimere SmithTimothy BloomShanell Woodgett | Timothy BloomNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
Go On Girl
|
Ne-YoTor Erik HermansenMikkel EriksenEspen LindAmund Bjørklund | Shaffer Chimere SmithTor Erik HermansenMikkel Storleer EriksenEspen LindAmund Bjørklund | StargateNe-Yo | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |