New York, NY (Top40 Charts) NE-YO releases, Another Kind Of Christmas his first-ever holiday album out now via Motown Records/Compound Entertainment/Universal Music. The three-time GRAMMY winner brings his own unique point-of-view to the season with five newly-penned tracks and reimagined versions of thoughtfully-selected Christmas classics - including "
Someday At Christmas", a plea for peace written by Motown songwriters Ron Miller and Bryan Wells for
Stevie Wonder during the Vietnam War, and Marvin Gaye's "I Want To Come Home For Christmas", inspired by the plight of prisoners of war.
NE-YO says, of the album, "see you this Holiday season and every holiday season after! Think you're gonna love it that much!"
"Just Ain't Christmas" candidly captures the pain of a Christmas Eve break-up while the playful double entendres of "Open Mine Tonight" celebrate what goes down after the kids go to bed. "Talk About It" evokes childhood Christmas memories, complete with the inevitable family dramas that unfold - "somebody gon' fight, somebody gon' cry, somebody gon' try to leave/Then they gon' squash it all right before it's time to eat." NE-YO, Satori and Dre Island each take a verse on the reggae-influenced "Christmas Vibez", which imagines a tropical holiday getaway for two. Other guest artists include Candice Boyd on "
Carol Of The Bells" and RaVaughn on "
Someday At Christmas".
NE-YO puts his stamp on such standards as Donny Hathaway's "
This Christmas", "Merry Christmas Baby," originally recorded by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, and "The Christmas Song," which was written by
Robert Wells and Mel Tormé and first recorded by the
Nat King Cole Trio. He recorded Another Kind Of Christmas in Montego Bay,
Jamaica with longtime collaborator Curtis "
Sauce" Wilson producing many of the tracks.
NE-YO has sold a cumulative 20+ million adjusted albums worldwide. He has won three GRAMMY® awards and been honored with a total of 14 nominations, His first single, 2005's "So Sick," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified quadruple Platinum. Since then, he has racked up a collection of hit singles - including "Sexy Love," "Closer," "Because of You", "
Miss Independent" and "
Push Back" featuring
Bebe Rexha and Stefflon Don. Three of his albums have entered SoundScan's Top Current Albums chart at No. 1.
He has proven to be as powerful with his pen as he is in the recording studio and on stage. The Las
Vegas native quickly became known as a go-to hitmaker, penning bangers like Rihanna's "
Unfaithful", "
Russian Roulette", and "Take a Bow", along with Beyoncé's 2006 breakup anthem "
Irreplaceable" and songs for such artists as Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood,
Celine Dion, among others. NE-YO's film and television credits include "Save the Last Dance," "World of Dance," "Battle: Los Angeles," "Stomp the Yard,"
George Lucas' "Red Tails," "Empire," "The Wiz Live!" and "Step Up: High Water."
Track Listing - Another Kind Of Christmas
This Christmas
Talk About It
Carol Of The Bells feat. Candice Boyd
Open Mine Tonight
Just Ain't Christmas
Christmas Vibez feat. Satori and Dre Island
Merry Christmas Baby
I Want To Come Home For Christmas
The Christmas Song
Someday At Christmas feat. RaVaughn
It's For Everybody