Avg Rating: 
3.2 ( 18 total votes )
I can’t believe I get a second chance to write about Ashanti Syndrome in just a few weeks, although this time I’m not making the somewhat obvious Nelly connection. No, this time the latest victim of Ashanti Syndrome – a rare disease that causes superstar artists to inexplicably become less popular although they’re essentially making the same music everyone so recently loved – is Ne-Yo. The last time we were here, for his third album Year of the Gentlemen, I was proclaiming him the new King of R&B. 2010, however, finds Mr. Yo in somewhat … ...Read the full album review
Fans can also check out Ne-Yo's previous albums: Ne-Yo - R.E.D. | Ne-Yo - Year Of The Gentleman | Ne-Yo - Because Of You | Ne-Yo - In My Own Words
DJBooth Album Review
I can’t believe I get a second chance to write about Ashanti Syndrome in just a few weeks, although this time I’m not making the somewhat obvious Nelly connection. No, this time the latest victim of Ashanti Syndrome – a rare disease that causes superstar artists to inexplicably become less popular although they’re essentially making the same music everyone so recently loved – is Ne-Yo. The last time we were here, for his third album Year of the Gentlemen, I was proclaiming him the new King of R&B. 2010, however, finds Mr. Yo in somewhat less exalted company. Make no mistake, he hasn’t suddenly lost his singing and songwriting skills, or had his reputation tarnished by a scandal. It’s just that the man who once turned a record into a top ten hit merely by thinking about it suddenly finds himself unable to crack the top 50. Why has America seemingly fallen out of love with Ne-Yo? It could only be Ashanti Syndrome.
(What’s that? There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for Ne-Yo’s suddenly subpar performance? Def Jam devoted 90% of their publicity to Rihanna and Kanye, leaving Ne-Yo to largely fend for himself? Plus Libra Scale is doing well on the album charts? Shut up, you’re ruining my theory.)
I feel obligated to mention that Libra Scale is technically a concept album. It was originally intended to be a movie that Ne-Yo wrote the script for, only the movie never materialized, leaving us with a soundtrack that tells the tale of three men offered fame and riches if they agree to never fall in love…or something. The truth is, I have no idea what the storyline is, and neither will you. It also doesn’t really matter. Although devoid of a mega-hit, Libra Scale is as entertaining and high quality as any of Ne-Yo’s previous albums.
That fame and riches storyline does, however, help explain why the first half of the album is largely concerned only with living the Champagne Life. A song that finds Ne-Yo riding the pop/r&b line with his trademark skill, Champagne Life is every bit as bubbly as its namesake, a record meant to be enjoyed, not consumed. That same luxurious vibe largely pervades the album, even when the theme is Ne-Yo getting his Kim Kardashian on with a certain female on Make a Movie, a lightly bouncing cut that’s not nearly as steamy as its title may suggest (he’s talking more about life imitating art than a sex tape). That high class attitude even comes up on the album’s true baby maker, Telekinesis, a softly banging jam that will undoubtedly have lovers reaching for wine, candles and their dictionary (telekinesis = moving objects with your mind). If Ne-Yo did indeed intend to turn Libra Scale into a movie it would have clearly been a high-budget affair. There’s no room for anything but the finest here.
As we know from every movie story arc, the good times can only last so long, and sure enough the second half of Libra Scale begins to subtly take on a more emotional, often regret-filled feel. One in a Million would be the perfect transition scene then, an uptempo, shining love song that contains a foreshadow of loss and pain. That pain becomes far more overt by the time the album nears completion, first on the deceptive Beautiful Monster – although its beat sounds like a club party, Ne-Yo’s lyrics and singing are far darker – and then on What Have I Done, a minimalist song that reveals both Michael Jackson’s influence on his work and reminds us of the almost surprising amount of emotion he can convey while still keeping his voice in the pop sphere. It’s an exceedingly rare combination of skills that makes Ne-Yo such an extraordinarily rare artist.
So why has Libra Scale so far failed to have the same cultural and musical impact as its predecessors? Frankly, I don’t know. The songwriting is as good as ever, the production is as good as ever and Ne-Yo’s voice is, if not at his peak, certainly not noticeably any worse than its ever been. While I like to come up with what I hope are at least somewhat clever descriptions of the musical phenomenon that surround us everyday, the truth is I’ve got nothing here. I don’t know why Libra Scale hasn’t seemed to enrapture America like his previous work, but I do know that talent like his doesn’t fade. Just wait – something tells me Ne-Yo will be back on top soon enough. If anyone can cure Ashanti Syndrome, it’s him.
Listen to More: Ne-Yo Written by Nathan S.
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Member Reviews and Ratings
Average Member Rating: Total Ratings: 18
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 637 |
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I think the main reasons this album didn't hit as hard was because
a) It didn't produce any hit singles b) It leaked over a month before it was released c) There is only 10 tracks on the album! Personally I found the album really slow paced and actually quite boring. It lacked the excitement of his previous albums. If this was to have made an impact, Def Jam should have just got behind the whole movie/album concept. Also I think he should have included more Stargate produced tracks, their work together made up the bulk of his winning formula! |
| Posted on Dec 09, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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the album was dope but coming out on the same day as Kanye West, Nicki Minaj & Lloyd banks didnt do him any favors considering they all had hit singles and big hype behind their albums
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| Posted on Dec 09, 2010 |
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I agree with Co-Sign3, this album doesn't sound like the Ne-Yo of old. Maybe his singles like Closer, and Call Me Crazy, but where is Lie To Me, and Leaving Tonight, and Mad, and Mirror- all the other songs that made Ne-Yo such a complete artist and one of the best in the game. One song in which he delves deep is certainly not enough in this day and age. Personal albums, such as Kanye's Dark Twisted Fantasy, Monica's Everything To Me, Bruno Mars' Doo Wops, etc. People want to hear an artist speak from their heart...F the gimmicks and the concepts...we need heart in these trying times.
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| Posted on Dec 09, 2010 |
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forgot to rate...definitely the least interesting of all Ne-Yo's albums
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| Posted on Dec 09, 2010 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1805 |
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Im a big fan of Ne-Yo. I love his music and singing abilities. But i have to admit that this is not why i love him. This is a weak album. I didnt really like most of the songs on here. Some tracks had "ok" statuses. This is not a good look of Ne-Yo. He can and should do better. Hopefully he will bounce back from this disaster. Good luck my dude.
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| Posted on Dec 09, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Couldnt it be called Ja Rule syndrome as well?
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| Posted on Dec 10, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 143 |
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i was waiting for this review...didnt excite me as much as his other albums...didnt really find any repeat worthy tracks...
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| Posted on Dec 10, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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The album is ok. The main reasons his album is not selling like his past albums are:
1. The album cover suck, I mean it sucks major elephant balls. 2. There was no promotion at all for this album. I visit many hiphop/r&b sites and I did not see a promotional banner. 3. The album was released too soon after the release of a single. You have to let people disgust your sh^t before they will want to buy your album. Build anticipation. 4. Why the f^ck did he make a concept album that no one can understand. I cannot recommend this to my friends. I downloadeda month ago from (a very great alternative to itunes where the songs are free) and I didn't even listen to it until today. I wonder how many people did the same. 5. And finally, the album cover sucks. It doesn't invite you to buy this album when you see it in the store. |
| Posted on Dec 10, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 53 |
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Ne-Yo needs to lose the gentlemen's theme, all the b/s and go back to his regular self. Love the man's voice but he could've done SOOOO much better. Even so after 2 yrs from his previous album. On the 4th go around I would've expected more hits but I guess not. (starts to wait for a better more passionate Ne-Yo album)
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| Posted on Dec 10, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 4 |
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i downloaded the album for free (because im broke) and i have listened to every song. i like songs like so sick and sexy love . libra scale is a step down and i dont think im going to play it again
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| Posted on Dec 10, 2010 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 736 |
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ne yo is at his best when he puts very strong emotions in his songs... what have i done is a perfect example. what i didn't like about that song is that he tried to imitate MJ... he should have just did his own thing, that would have came out much better. nonetheless, it is still my favorite track from Libra Scale. Personally, this album is not up to par to his previous works.
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| Posted on Dec 11, 2010 |
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Even if that album doesn't have a real hit, Ne-Yo gives us an opus with concept, emotion, vocals and songwriting which are so good.
Ne-Yo after every album, gets better! |
| Posted on Dec 12, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Although this is a good album and i have been a huge Ne-Yo fan for as long as i can remember, it doesnt sit well with me...
I'm pretty sure is because nowadays I'm so desensitized to Ne-Yo. I mean he has 1000000 tracks leaked everyday that this ablum failed to make any impact on me. A couple great songs/good album fail to compensate with this very poorly executed project (delays, leaks, etc.) |
| Posted on Dec 13, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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This album failed for the same reason Usher's "Here I Stand" failed. It is musically to complicated for the average listener. The public got used to simple contemporary R&B beats, sex lyrics and easy to remember melodies, while "Libra Scale" isn't like that. It is way more complex.
Also, the album comes with a script that stands at the base of it's concept. If you don't read it, you won't get the point of the album. But Ne-Yo should've known that no one will give a dam about the script so the concept will be really hard to understand. Def Jam didn't really helped either. They were too busy promoting Kanye, Rihanna and even Justin Bieber. Maybe a collaboration with Kanye or Rihanna on the album would've helped... And like Co-Sign3 said, Stargate is really missing on this album. I know Ne-Yo was looking for new sounds and producers and stuff, but putting em on the album is pretty risky... though the production is pretty good... I just hope that Ne-Yo will be back with a smash album, just like Usher did after "Here I Stand" failed to impress. |
| Posted on Dec 13, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 399 |
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Its got some good songs, but only one banger.
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| Posted on Dec 26, 2010 |
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| Posted on Dec 28, 2010 |
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i loved it
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| Posted on Dec 28, 2010 |
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| Posted on Jan 24, 2011 |
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| Posted on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Libra Scale did not do quite as well as fans would have hoped for several reasons. It had many delays to its release. It was originally scheduled to come out before Libra's month of october, and it didn't hit shelves until Novemeber. Even though I was highly anticipating this album, I was unaware it was actually out until a few weeks after it was released.
The lack of a supporting movie to go along with Ne-yo's original idea also did help the album. Ne-yo then planned to make six connected music videos, but only three were actualized. The main issue with these cuts was funding. Ne-yo had to continuously scale back the Scales. A comic book of the story was eventually published, which is definitely a unique route. Why this album failed to chart a top twenty single is far beyond me. The singles received decent radio play shortly after their release. I have bumped Champagne Life and Beautiful Monster at dozens of parties and events, and both go over well with the crowd. If just a tenth of the people who watched the One in a Million music video actually bought the album, it would have gone four times platinum already. I agree with what some of the other reviewers are saying about the album. It is a bit too complex for the average listener, but that is the album's primary strength. Ne-yo had an opportunity to show the full extent of his musical genius, and in that regard this album is a success. The music throughout is just so diverse, and Ne-yo is able to handle the diversity with incredible versatility. I kind of agree that one or two more Stargate tracks would have helped the album, but Ne-yo was going for something different. Artists can't repeat the same procedure every time unless they want their music to sound carbon-copied, and popular music styles rarely stay the same for 3-4 years without making a major shift in sound. It seems like Ne-yo didn't want to have an album with a couple hits and a bunch of filler songs. Every track is deliberate, and none of the songs feel like filler. Also, people are complaining that the album is too slow... It's an R&B album. Nuff Said. Definitely one meant to be bumped for its slow jams late at night. |
| Posted on Jun 27, 2011 |
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