You know him by his signature fedora, silky voice, and his popular singles “So Sick,” “Miss Independent,”  “Mad,” and “Closer.” Ne-Yo’s, latest album, Libra Scale, released on Nov. 22, 2010, is an R&B rhythm sensation: a CD for Ne-Yo fans everywhere. Most of the songs on this CD aren’t played on the radio, which is a shame because some of them are just as good as his older songs.

Ne-Yo created a sci-fi story based on his album about a garbage man named Jerome and his friends who meet a man from space named Numinous. Numinous offers to help the men overcome their low-class lives and become successful, rich, and powerful, as long as they promise they won’t fall in love and will dedicate their lives to protecting the city. When they agree to these terms, the three obtain telekinetic powers and fight against crime; however, Jerome eventually meets a woman named Pretti Sinclair, who he ends up falling in love with.

He then weighs whether his love is more important than his new powers and fame (hence the name of the album) and later chooses love. His decision then backfires when Pretti obtains powers of her own through his love and becomes the evil Diamond Eye. She then manipulates Jerome’s companions and takes over the city. Jerome is then faced to take down the woman he loves in order to protect his city.

The tracks on this album follow this storyline. Overall, I thought was a good CD, but I had to admit that there were a couple songs that didn’t meet my expectations. Nonetheless, I’d still recommend this album to Ne-Yo fans, or R&B listeners in general. It’s definitely worth listening to.

1.      “Champagne Life” – Play it: A smooth song about a smooth drink. I really liked the theme about “living the life” and the analogy that “worries are just a bottle in a champagne glass.” The song revolves around when Jerome and his friends become heroes and become more famous. The beat was very catchy and Ne-Yo’s voice was as refreshing as the “tsst, ahhs” throughout the song.

2.      “Makin’ a Movie” – Skip it: It disappoints me to find a song I don’t like so early in the album. I’m a lyric analyzer, and if you’re one too, I’d suggest skipping this track.  The song was mostly about drinking, which didn’t really fit its title about making a movie. There was also an electric guitar strumming that I found really annoying; the song would’ve been better without it. The music on the track didn’t attract me as much either.

3.      “Know Your Name” – Play it: This song had a really soothing and relaxing feel to it. It reminded me of elevator music, but with a toe-tapping beat. The track explains Jerome’s feelings towards Pretti when he first meets her and has no idea who she is but knows he’s already fallen for her. It follows the “love at first sight” theme. I especially like the part where he says, “I’m not trying to scare you, but in your eyes I can see why people write love songs,” meaning that he realizes he’s in love when he looks into her eyes.

4.      “Telekinesis” – Skip it: Music was boring, lyrics were boring, it was just boring, sleep-inducing even. Ne-Yo’s voice was as sleek as ever, but the lyrics just didn’t work for me. It was all about sex and using telekinesis to “touch you without touching you.”

5.   “Crazy Love ft. Fabolous” – Play it: I really liked this track because it described how love makes us all dumb, no matter how smart we are when he says, “I’m intelligent, I’m not stupid, not at all, but my common sense, when it comes to you it falls. Then I do something dumb.” I also like the chorus when he goes, “They say love and insanity are somewhat related.” Fabolous’ rap also fit in with the catchy R&B beat.

6.   “One in a Million” – Play it: Love, Love, LOVE THIS SONG! It’s got a catchy bongo beat you can dance to and lyrics with meaning. My favorite part is the chorus when he says, “Girl you’re so one in a million, you are. Baby, you’re the best I ever had. Best I ever had and I’m certain that there ain’t nothing better, no there ain’t nothing better than this.” I love Ne-Yo’s choice in making Pretti a normal-looking girl in the song’s music video instead of a superficial, face-lifted, body-implanted kind of girl, which really made the lyrics of the song more meaningful. I love everything about this song and I still listen to it.

7.   “Genuine Only” – Play it: Ne-Yo really shines in this track. This is what I’d expect from one of his songs. It has a toe-tapping beat, transitions from an upbeat rhythm to a smoother one, and just defines his work: “genuine.” The lyric, “May you never know one day, when love isn’t real. See this stuff to me is genuine only,” really stood out to me and sends the message that love isn’t just a feeling, but it’s something real and absolute.

8.   “Cause I Said So” – Play it: A very upbeat song with a Michael Jackson flair. Ne-Yo tries to sound like Michael Jackson, but retains his suave voice. I really liked the beat that goes with the lyrics,”from her head to her toes, she’s out of control. She can reach right into your chest and pull out your soul.” This is the perfect song for M.J. fans. The song describes Jerome’s relationship with Pretti as she becomes evil.

9.   “Beautiful Monster” – Play it: This song has a techno feel with a rapid beat. The song describes Jerome’s feelings toward Pretti once she dominates the city and he knows that she’s become a monster, but he still loves her. I especially liked the part, “In her eyes there’s love and fire. In my heart, she’s burning through. But I don’t mind. In fact, I like it. Though I’m terrified, I’m turned on but scared of you.”

10.  “What Have I Done” – Play it: The song talked about how love can be selfish and had a very calm beat. It was describing the outcome of Jerome and Pretti’s relationship in the story and how he had to defeat her despite his love for her. The one thing I didn’t like about this track was the singing at the “I’m to blame. Love is a privilege, not a game. Now you’re a monster…” part. It was annoyingly high-pitched and I thought the song could do without it. Best part is when Ne-Yo goes “Beautiful, you are so lovely. All you wanted was to love me. What have I done?” The song had almost a kind of music box kind of feel. Overall, it was a good way to end the album.