Studio Album · No. 5
R.E.D. Songwriting Credits by Ne-Yo
Produced by Shea Taylor, Stargate, Reeva & Black, Phatboiz, Harmony Samuels, Luke Laird, Byron Gallimore, Jesse Wilson, Reginald Smith, Bingo Players, Emanuel Kiriakou, Andrew Goldstein
Holds writing credit on 13 of 13 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 13 / 13 documented
Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ne-Yo carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
R.E.D. is a co-writer's album in the fullest sense: Ne-Yo, credited legally as Shaffer Chimere Smith, appears as a writer on all thirteen standard-edition tracks, so the composer column is anchored by his birth name on every song. The lyricist column carries his stage name, Ne-Yo, alongside the common names of his collaborators, while the composer column swaps in legal names where a writer works under an alias, so Sia becomes Sia Furler, Wiz Khalifa becomes Cameron Jibril Thomaz, and Shea Taylor becomes Robert Shea Taylor. The record leans heavily on a small set of production camps: Stargate's Mikkel Eriksen and Tor Hermansen handle the pop-facing singles, Shea Taylor drives the opening R&B run, and the Phatboiz trio of Allen Arthur, Clayton Reilly, and Keith Justice recurs across 'Jealous,' 'Forever Now,' and 'Unconditional.' The presence of Sia and the Dutch EDM duo Bingo Players on 'Forever Now' marks the album's deliberate reach toward the European dance market rather than a change in who authored the songs.
R.E.D. is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, born Shaffer Chimere Smith, released on November 2, 2012 as his first album for Motown Records after leaving Def Jam. The title is an acronym for 'Realizing Every Dream,' framing the record as a personal statement about ambition and self-belief. Musically it widens Ne-Yo's contemporary R&B base to take in dance-pop and Europop, most visibly on the international hit 'Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself),' co-written with Sia and produced by Stargate. As on all his albums, Ne-Yo has a hand in writing every track, working with production teams including Stargate, Shea Taylor, and Phatboiz, and he brings in guests Wiz Khalifa on 'Don't Make Em Like You' and country star Tim McGraw on 'She Is.' The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with 66,000 first-week copies and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart with its lead crossover single, giving Ne-Yo one of the biggest pop moments of his career.
Track Listing & Credits 13 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Cracks in Mr. Perfect
|
Ne-YoShea Taylor | Shaffer Chimere SmithRobert Shea Taylor | Shea Taylor | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Lazy Love
#29
|
Ne-YoShea Taylor | Shaffer Chimere SmithRobert Shea Taylor | Shea Taylor | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)
#6
|
Ne-YoSiaMikkel S. EriksenTor E. HermansenMark HadfieldMike Di Scala | Shaffer Chimere SmithSia FurlerMikkel Storleer EriksenTor Erik HermansenMark HadfieldMike Di Scala | StargateReeva & Black | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Miss Right
|
Ne-YoMikkel S. EriksenTor E. Hermansen | Shaffer Chimere SmithMikkel Storleer EriksenTor Erik Hermansen | Stargate | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Jealous
|
Ne-YoAllen ArthurClayton ReillyKeith Justice | Shaffer Chimere SmithAllen ArthurClayton ReillyKeith Justice | Phatboiz | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Don't Make Em Like You
|
Ne-YoHarmony SamuelsWiz Khalifa | Shaffer Chimere SmithHarmony David SamuelsCameron Jibril Thomaz | Harmony Samuels | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals)Wiz Khalifa (Featured Vocals) |
| 7 |
Be the One
|
Ne-YoMikkel S. EriksenTor E. Hermansen | Shaffer Chimere SmithMikkel Storleer EriksenTor Erik Hermansen | Stargate | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Stress Reliever
|
Ne-YoShea Taylor | Shaffer Chimere SmithRobert Shea Taylor | Shea Taylor | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
She Is
|
Ne-YoLuke Laird | Shaffer Chimere SmithLuke Laird | Luke LairdByron Gallimore | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals)Tim McGraw (Featured Vocals) |
| 10 |
Carry On (Her Letter to Him)
|
Ne-YoJesse Wilson | Shaffer Chimere SmithJesse Wilson | Jesse WilsonReginald Smith | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Forever Now
|
Ne-YoAllen ArthurClayton ReillyKeith JusticeMikkel S. EriksenTor E. HermansenPaul BäumerMaarten Hoogstraten | Shaffer Chimere SmithAllen ArthurClayton ReillyKeith JusticeMikkel Storleer EriksenTor Erik HermansenPaul BäumerMaarten Hoogstraten | StargateBingo PlayersPhatboiz | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
Shut Me Down
|
Ne-YoEmanuel KiriakouAndrew Goldstein | Shaffer Chimere SmithEmanuel KiriakouAndrew Goldstein | Emanuel KiriakouAndrew Goldstein | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
Unconditional
|
Ne-YoAllen ArthurClayton ReillyKeith Justice | Shaffer Chimere SmithAllen ArthurClayton ReillyKeith Justice | Phatboiz | Ne-Yo (Lead Vocals) |