Surprising songs Ne-Yo wrote: Hits you didn't realise were written by Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, is an American singer, dancer, songwriter, record producer, and writer. He first gained attention in 2004 as the songwriter behind Mario's hit, Let Me Love You. But do you know Ne-Yo has written several other hit tracks for notable artists? This article lists some surprising songs Ne-Yo wrote that many didn't know.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Hit songs that Ne-Yo wrote
- 1. Let Me Love You by Mario
- 2. Irreplaceable by Beyoncé
- 3. Take A Bow by Rihanna
- 4. Spotlight by Jennifer Hudson
- 5. Pretty Girl Rock by Keri Hilson
- 6. Not Anymore by LeTonya Luckett
- 7. Rocket by En Vogue
- 8. That Girl by Marques Houston
- 9. Give Me Everything by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Nayer, Afrojack
- 10. Be on You by Flo Rida feat. Ne-Yo
- 11. Walk Away (Remember Me) by Paula DeAnda
- 12. Unfaithful by Rihanna
- 13. Single by NKTOB
- 14. Epiphany (I'm Leaving) by Chrisette Michele
- 15. Woo Baby by Pop Smoke feat. Chris Brown
- What is Ne-Yo's biggest hit?
- Did Ne-Yo write for Michael Jackson?
- What Beyonce's song did Ne-Yo write?
Ne-Yo was born on 18 October 1979 in Camden, Arkansas, United States. He comes from a family of musicians. Ne-Yo's parents are singers. His mother made him develop a passion for writing songs at a tender age, taking him to Los Vegas Academy to polish his skills.
Hit songs that Ne-Yo wrote
What songs did Ne-Yo write for other artists? He has written numerous songs for celebrities such as Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Pitbull, and Rihanna. Here is a list of the best songs Ne-Yo wrote.
| Songs | Artists |
| Let Me Love You | Mario |
| Irreplaceable | Beyoncé |
| Take A Bow | Rihanna |
| Spotlight | Jennifer Hudson |
| Pretty Girl Rock | Keri Hilson |
| Not Anymore | LeTonya Luckett |
| Rocket | En Vogue |
| That Girl | Marques Houston |
| Give Me Everything | Pitbull |
| Be on You | Flo Rida |
| Walk Away (Remember Me) | Paula DeAnda |
| Unfaithful | Rihanna |
| Single | NKTOB |
| Epiphany (I'm Leaving) | Chrisette Michele |
| Woo Baby | Pop Smoke feat. Chris Brown |
1. Let Me Love You by Mario
- Released: 4 October 2004
- Genre: R&B/Soul
- Artist: Mario
- Album: Turning Point
Let Me Love You is Mario's debut song. It is the track that made Ne-Yo famous. It is one of his best songs, and it has been and continues to be a hit since it was released ten years ago, with currently over 500 million views. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
2. Irreplaceable by Beyoncé
- Released: 23 October 2006
- Genre: Pop, R&B
- Artist: Beyoncé
- Album: B'Day
Irreplaceable is a pop song by the American singer, songwriter, and businesswoman, Beyoncé. Ne-Yo wrote the song with Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Ericksen, Amund Bjorklund, and Espen Lind. Ne-Yo initially wrote the song for himself but later saw that it perfectly fit being sung by a woman. He revealed this in an interview where he said:
Another one that comes to mind is Beyonce’s Irreplaceable. Now, I initially wrote that song for me but that song taught me a really valuable lesson about lyrical content and the way its perceived in regards to gender.
He added:
That exact same song with exact same lyrics that is sung by a man comes across a little different than it does being sung by a woman, so when Beyonce sings it its empowering and its uplifting to women and its like girl power and all of that.
3. Take A Bow by Rihanna
- Released: 15 April 2008
- Genre: R&B/Soul, Pop, Rock
- Artists: Rihanna
- Album: Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded
Take A Bow is a 2008 song by Rihanna Robyn Fenty, the Barbadian singer, songwriter, actress, model, and entrepreneur. It was released as the lead single from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. In addition to Ne-Yo, Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen also participated in the song's writing.
4. Spotlight by Jennifer Hudson
- Released: 10 June 2008
- Genre: R&B/Soul, UK R&B
- Artist: Jennifer Hudson
- Album: Jennifer Hudson
Spotlight, released in 2008, is an R&B song from her debut album, Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer Hudson's song debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned two Grammy Awards nominations. Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen were also part of the song's writers.
5. Pretty Girl Rock by Keri Hilson
- Released: 2010
- Genre: R&B/Soul
- Artist: Keri Hilson
- Album: No Boys Allowed
Pretty Girl Rock is among the hit songs that Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony wrote. It was released as part of her second studio album, No Boys Allowed. It features artist Kanye West.
6. Not Anymore by LeTonya Luckett
- Released: 3 February 2009
- Genre: R&B
- Artist: LeTonya Luckett
- Album: Lady Love
Not Anymore is among the most famous R&B songs by LeTonya Luckett. It was written by Ne-Yo and Bei Maejor and was released as part of her second studio album, Lady Love. The music video for the song peaked at number three on 106&Park.
7. Rocket by En Vogue
- Released: 1 December 2017
- Genre: R&B/Soul
- Artist: En Vogue
- Album: Electric Café
Rocket by the recording band En Vogue was released as a lead single in 2017 from the seventh studio album Electric Café. Released on En Vogue Records and eOne Music, Billboard ranked the song as the no. 8 on the Adult R&B Songs charts.
8. That Girl by Marques Houston
- Released: 26 March 2003
- Genre: R&B/Soul
- Artist: Marques Houston
- Album: MH
That Girl is a 2003 R&B song by Marques Houston from his debut album, MH. It became a significant hit in the US, reaching number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100.
9. Give Me Everything by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Nayer, Afrojack
- Released: 18 March 2011
- Genre: Dance
- Artist: Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Nayer, Afrojack
- Album: Planet Pit
Give Me Everything is also one of his hit writing from Pitbull's album Planet Pit. Ne-Yo was also among the featured artists together with Nayer and Afrojack. The track was released on J Records, Mr.305 Entertainment, and Polo Ground Music. It has over one billion views on his YouTube channel as of this writing.
10. Be on You by Flo Rida feat. Ne-Yo
- Released: 6 October 2009
- Genre: Pop rap/R&B
- Artist: Flo Rida feat. Ne-Yo
- Album: R.O.O.T.S
Be on You is one of the best songs written by Ne-Yo. Tramar Lacel Dillard, aka Flo Rida, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter who released it as part of his second album, R.O.O.O.T. S. The song's other writers include Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel S. Eriksen.
11. Walk Away (Remember Me) by Paula DeAnda
- Released: 14 November 2006
- Genre: R&B/Soul, Pop, UK R&B
- Artist: Paula DeAnda
- Album: Paula DeAnda
Walk Away remains a hit song by American singer Paula DeAnda. It was released in 2006 as the second single from the album Paula DeAnda. The song features The D.E.Y. It reached #18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 2007 and #4 on the Pop Songs chart.
12. Unfaithful by Rihanna
- Released: 1 May 2006
- Genre: Pop, dancehall, R&B
- Artist: Rihanna
- Album: A Girl Like Me
Unfaithful is another song by Rihanna written by Ne-Yo. Def Jam Recordings released it in 2006 as the second single from the album A Girl Like Me. Since its release, it has gained widespread recognition in various countries and reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
13. Single by NKTOB
- Released: 12 August 2008
- Genre: Pop, R&B/Soul, Alternative/Indie
- Artist: NKTOB
- Album: The Block
Single is the second song by New Kids on the Block from their fifth album, The Block. Ne-Yo wrote the song and was a featured artist. The track was also produced by him together with Polow da Don, and Adam Messinger.
14. Epiphany (I'm Leaving) by Chrisette Michele
- Released: 5 May 2009
- Genre: R&B
- Artist: Chrisette Michele
- Album: Epiphany
Epiphany is a song by the American singer and songwriter Chrisette Michele. It is the lead single from Chrisette's second album, Epiphany. It was released in 2009 by Def Jam Recordings. The track achieved notable chart success, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.
15. Woo Baby by Pop Smoke feat. Chris Brown
- Released: 22 July 2021
- Genre: R&B
- Artist: Pop Smoke feat. Chris Brown
- Album: Faith
It is a song by Pop Smoke featuring Chris Brown from his second studio album, Faith. Woo Baby was released in 2021. It became the top 25 in New Zealand and Australia record charts. Additionally, it reached #64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #49 on the Billboard Global 200.
What is Ne-Yo's biggest hit?
Let Me Love You by Mario is the biggest hit song Ne-Yo wrote during his initial stages of songwriting. The song was Mario's debut, recorded in April 2006 and released on October 4, 2004.
Did Ne-Yo write for Michael Jackson?
He wrote songs for the late artist Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, Michael died before recording them. Ne-Yo has since kept them and has never sold or released them in his name. In an interview with Australia's Daily Telegraph, he stated, as reported by MTV:
I can't sell them on to someone else, as that would be disrespectful, but I also think it might be disrespectful to bring them out myself. So I don't know, I'll sit on them and wait. It's definitely quality music but they were songs written absolutely for Michael Jackson.
What Beyonce's song did Ne-Yo write?
The American singer wrote for Beyonce the song Irreplaceable. The track was released on 23 October 2006.
Ne-Yo is a singer, songwriter, and record producer from the United States. He has gained fame due to his songwriting prowess. The above list doesn't include all the hit songs Ne-Yo wrote for notable celebrities, as there are many.
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