Ne-Yo: In My Own Words (2LP, 20th anniversary) [HIP-O RECORDS]

Why you'll love it

This 20th anniversary 2LP set gives the whole album a fresh 2026 mix and adds a "Stay" remix with Rick Ross plus acoustic versions of "So Sick" and "Sexy Love" recorded live in Atlanta. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 301,000 copies sold and earned a Grammy nomination.

This edition

• 2LP set
• 20th anniversary edition
• 2026 remix
• Bonus tracks
• Remastered
• Pressed in Germany
• Stereo mix

About the album

Before most people knew his face, they knew his songs. Shaffer Smith had already written Mario's worldwide smash "Let Me Love You" when Jay-Z, then running Def Jam, signed him after he performed for the label. Ne-Yo, the nickname came from a producer who said he saw music the way Neo sees the Matrix, then stepped up to the mic with an album he co-wrote from top to bottom.

Norwegian duo Stargate built the album's biggest moment, the downtempo heartbreak of "So Sick," which went to No. 1 in both the US and the UK. Ron "Neff-U" Feemster, Shea Taylor, Curtis "Sauce" Wilson and Brandon Howard fill out the production, "Stay" brings in Peedi Peedi, and "When You're Mad" and "Sexy Love" kept the singles coming. The smooth, melodic R&B here set the tone for a career writing for everyone from Rihanna to Beyoncé.

It went platinum in the US, Australia, Japan and the UK, and Ne-Yo took the songs on the road that summer with Chris Brown. Twenty years on he's still the chap other singers call when they need a hit, which must make for an interesting phone bill.

Also at Kops: more Ne-Yo on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Listen

On Def Jam / UMe, a reissue of the 2006 album.