Ne-Yo

Shaffer Chimere Smith, known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor.

Ne-Yo first gained prominence as a songwriter when he penned the 2004 hit “Let Me Love You” for singer Mario. The song’s success in the United States led to an informal meeting with Def Jam’s label head and the eventual signing of his recording contract.

He released his debut album, “In My Own Words,” in 2006. The album topped the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia. Its lead single, “Stay,” was released in September 2005 and performed well on R&B charts, though it did not enter the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, “So Sick,” released in November 2005, became a commercial success—reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 and earning quadruple-platinum certification in the U.S. and double-platinum in Japan. Subsequent singles “When You’re Mad” and “Sexy Love” reached No. 15 and No. 7 on the Hot 100, respectively.

In April 2007, he released his second studio album, “Because of You,” which debuted at No. 1 on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2008 ceremony. His third studio album, “Year of the Gentleman,” was released internationally in August 2008. The album earned nominations for Album of the Year and Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2009 Grammys; its singles “Closer” and “Miss Independent” also received multiple Grammy nominations. “Year of the Gentleman” achieved double-platinum status in the U.S., triple-platinum in the U.K., and platinum in Japan. The third single from the album, “Mad,” peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100.

Released in November 2010, his fourth studio album, “Libra Scale,” reached No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and topped the U.K. R&B charts, although it underperformed compared to his earlier albums. It produced the U.K. No. 1 “Beautiful Monster,” as well as “Champagne Life” and “One in a Million.” Ne-Yo’s fifth album, “R.E.D.,” arrived in November 2012; its mainstream lead single, “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself),” released in July 2012, earned platinum certification in the U.S. and sold over two million copies. His sixth album, “Non-Fiction,” was released in January 2015. His seventh album, “Good Man,” followed in 2017, with the first single, “Another Love Song,” arriving that May.

Ne-Yo released his eighth studio album, “Self Explanatory,” in July 2022. The record included features from artists such as Yung Bleu, Jeremih and Trippie Redd and carried an introspective tone influenced by his experiences during the pandemic. He supported the project with the Champagne and Roses Tour, a world tour that ran from September 2023 through November 2024.

In 2025, Ne-Yo has remained musically active, releasing singles including “Sweet Gurl,” “Not the Same” from the short film Red Clay, “Can’t Sleep Without You” featuring MLAP and Giuliani, “Eu e Tu,” and the “Over Under (Remix),” released in August 2025.

Beyond music, Ne-Yo expanded into sports management in late 2024, signing boxer Paul Bamba, who became the World Boxing Association cruiserweight champion shortly before his unexpected passing in December of that year.