Maps of Music

Libra Scale (2010)

Where the lyrics of Libra Scale take you, and where it was really made.

The album's story follows three garbage men who are offered everything they want, with one catch: they can never fall in love.

Key places

Recorded at Westlake Studios (2010)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — The album credits name Westlake Studios in Los Angeles as a recording location. The point marks the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Circle House Studios (2010)

Recording site The Hit Factory Criteria — The album credits list Circle House Studios as a recording location. The point marks Miami city center, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Libra Scale: fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
• Released 27 October 2010 in Japan, 29 October in the United Kingdom, and 22 November 2010 in the United States
• US release by Def Jam Recordings and Compound Entertainment
• Preceded by three singles: Beautiful Monster, Champagne Life, and One in a Million
• Concept album: a story about three garbage men offered everything they wanted in return for protecting the city from a coming threat, with one catch that they can never fall in love
• The title refers to Libra, Ne-Yo's astrological sign

Background

• Three influences behind the idea: a wish to avoid a standard compilation, interest in science fiction, comic books and Japanese animation, and the work of Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson works named as inspiration: Thriller, Moonwalker, and Bad
• A short movie was first planned to accompany the album, but time and money made it unviable
• Ne-Yo developed a series of six extended music videos instead
• He has said the songs are inspired by the script of the film he wrote
• Several songs follow the story of Jerome and Pretti Sinclair
• Jerome is played by Ne-Yo and Pretti Sinclair by Galen Hooks
• The story centres on a choice between money, power and fame and the love of one person, with Jerome forced to decide between her life and his own

Recording

• Recording credits list Westlake Studios, Roc The Mic Studios, and Circle House Studios
• Mixing credits include The Warehouse Studios in Atlanta, Skylar's Room, Sarm Studios, The Bunker Studios in Paris, and Soapbox Studios
• Tracks 2, 3, 4 and 5 were mixed at Skylar's Room in Atlanta, Georgia

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.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

• Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen gave the album four stars out of five
• Rosen wrote that the real concept is a Michael Jackson tribute album, and a damn good one
• The Boston Globe's Sarah Rodman described the album as brimming with bedroom enticements and dance-floor exhortations powered by champagne, handclaps, and Michael Jackson-influenced cadences
• AllMusic editor Andy Kellman gave three and a half out of five stars and called Ne-Yo a premier source of R&B
• USA Today's Elysa Gardner gave three stars out of four and said the album confirms his affinity for balancing old-school romance with youthful sensuality
• The New York Times' Jon Pareles wrote that the tone changes halfway through the album, as the music turns more electronic
• Now's Benjamin Boles wrote that the goofy storyline does not intrude too much on the music itself
• BBC Music critic Melissa Bradshaw found that the album complicates the persona established on Year of the Gentleman
• Los Angeles Times' Todd Martens gave two and a half out of four stars and said Ne-Yo is at his best when staying closer to home

Records

• Debuted and peaked at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 112,000 copies
• Became his fourth consecutive top-ten album in the United States, following Year of the Gentleman
• Marked his lowest opening sales up to that point
• Reached number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and became his first solo album to miss the top spot there
• Metacritic average of 73 out of 100 from fourteen reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews
• Had sold 345,000 copies domestically by November 2012

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title refers to Libra, Ne-Yo's astrological sign.
• A planned short movie was dropped because of time and money limits, and six extended music videos took its place.
• The songs were said to be inspired by a film script Ne-Yo wrote.
• The concept story turns on a choice between money, power and fame on one side and love on the other.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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