Maps of Music
Because of You (2007)
Where the lyrics of Because of You take you, and where it was really made.
The album started as Know Me and was re-titled Because of You only a month before its release.
View on the mapKey places
Battery Studios, New York City (2007)
Recording site Battery Studios — Battery Studios in New York City is listed as a recording location for this album. The pin marks the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Sony Music Studios, New York City (2007)
Recording site Sony Music Studios — Sony Music Studios in New York City is listed as a recording location for this album. The pin marks the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles (2007)
Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for this album. The pin marks the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
D.M.L., East Orange (2007)
Recording site D.M.L. — The album's credits name D.M.L. in East Orange, New Jersey as a recording location. The pin sits at the city centre, not at a specific studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Lethal, Bridgetown (2007)
Recording site Lethal Studios — The album's credits name Lethal in Bridgetown, Barbados as a recording location. The pin sits at the city centre, not at a specific studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
L. Gold, Philadelphia (2007)
Recording site Scottish Rite Temple — The album's credits name L. Gold in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a recording location. The pin sits at the city centre, not at a specific studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Because of You: second studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo
- Released 25 April 2007 in the United States by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings
- Follows the 2006 debut In My Own Words
- Jay-Z guests on "Crazy" and Jennifer Hudson on "Leaving Tonight"
- Originally titled Know Me; re-titled a month before release
Background
- Ne-Yo's major breakthrough came when Mario's hit "Let Me Love You", which he co-wrote, reached worldwide number one in 2004
- The success of that song led to a meeting with Def Jam executive L.A. Reid
- He was signed after performing for the label, by then-CEO Jay-Z
- The debut In My Own Words debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and sold 1.4 million copies domestically
Recording
- He reteamed with many debut-album collaborators, including Ron "Neff-U" Feemster, StarGate, and Shea Taylor
- New and upcoming musicians such as Eric Hudson, Timothy Bloom, Knobody, and Syience also worked on the album
- Planned extra studio sessions with Timbaland failed to happen because of scheduling
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Artist
Formation
- Born Shaffer Chimere Smith on October 18, 1979, in Camden, Arkansas; raised in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Joined R&B group Envy as a high-school student; the group disbanded in 2000.
- Stage name Ne-Yo was coined by producer Big D Evans, who said Ne-Yo sees music the way the character Neo sees the Matrix.
Career
- Breakthrough as a songwriter with Mario's "Let Me Love You", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Signed to Def Jam Recordings, then led by Jay-Z, after that success.
- Debut album In My Own Words (2006) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
- Because of You (2007) and Year of the Gentleman (2008) reached numbers one and two on the Billboard 200; Because of You won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the Grammys.
- Moved to Motown in 2012 and released R.E.D. (2012) and later albums through Motown.
- Won three Grammy Awards in total.
- Judged World of Dance (2017–2020); placed second on The Masked Singer UK and won The Masked Singer season ten as the Cow.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- PopMatters' Colin McGuire wrote that Ne-Yo answered the sophomore slump worry with an album that leaves his first solo effort far behind, and said it might be the best R&B album of the year
- AllMusic editor Andy Kellman noted that the album's potency and freshness come from its differences from In My Own Words
- Entertainment Weekly's Simon Vozick-Levinson said the album clearly tries to channel Michael Jackson's early work, and that the effort often pays off
- The A.V. Club's Nathan Rabin called it a sleeper that reveals considerable strengths on repeat listens, and noted it is largely free of filler
- The New York Times' Kelefa Sanneh found Ne-Yo has a silky voice and a clear knack for chronicling obsessive love and lust
- The Boston Globe's Sarah Rodman called it a sexy and sweet sophomore release that mostly avoids the filler problem of many contemporary R&B albums
- Metacritic gave it an average score of 74 out of 100 from 14 critics, which indicates generally favorable reviews
Records
- Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the week ending May 19, 2007, selling 251,000 copies
- Became Ne-Yo's second number-one album in the United States
- Certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA on November 12, 2007
- Ranked 13th on Billboard's year-end Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list
- Sold over 931,000 copies domestically by March 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan
- Won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2008
- Reached the top ten in Canada and the United Kingdom
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- The album was first titled Know Me. Ne-Yo said the new title Because of You makes the most sense because of the people, the love of music, and the fans.
- Planned extra studio sessions with Timbaland did not happen because of scheduling.
- Crazy with Jay-Z was first titled Call Me Crazy, and Ne-Yo had hoped it would be the second single, but Def Jam released Do You instead in September 2007.
- The album's lead single Because of You reached New Zealand number one and was Ne-Yo's highest-charting single since So Sick.
- Ne-Yo signed with Def Jam after performing for the label, when he was not actively seeking a deal.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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