In My Own Words
By Odienne Dina Chisolm

Neyo’s highly anticipated debut album In My Own Words is one of the most promising albums amongst the new group of young R&B artists surfacing the scene.
Having penned such hits like Mario’s Let Me Love You, the Las Vegas native is no newcomer to the industry per se, just a new comer to performing and actually writing the hits for himself.   After being so successful behind the scenes, can Neyo hold it down for himself? Well, the jury has deliberated and the verdict is….yes!

If you haven’t heard his hit ballad So Sick you’ve literally been living under a rock or you actually have turned off the radio (those who know the song just got that line). The hit single receives multiple radio spins daily and has crossed over to the pop airwaves as well. You can hear how the song can easily satisfy both R&B and pop genres with it’s smooth laid back melodies and lyrics. The first song on the album, “Stay” (with Rocafella rapper Peedi Crakk) was actually the song that launched Neyo’s connection with the streets.

This upbeat tempo, was featured on most mix CDs in early 2005 and any song that finds its way on to any type of underground material generally has the streets’ seal of approval.  To be included on Bill Board Top 10 is great, but love from the streets goes a long way.

The songs on In My Own Words suggests that Neyo is pretty seasoned when it comes to dealing with love and pain, those two emotions mixed with doses of heartbreak are key ingredients for most successful R&B crooners, so he’s well on his way. With songs mostly about how much he loves a woman and wants to do right Neyo seems to loosen his tie a bit on “Mirror.” In this song he expresses his freaky side and  how he likes making love in the mirror with his girlfriend because he likes to see her enjoying him as they do what they do.

On “Get Down Like That” (featuring Ghostface Killah) and “It Just Ain’t Right” Neyo seems to take to totally different approaches to relationships. On “Get Down Like That” which reminds you of the old songs your parents talked about during those infamous red light basement parties, Neyo sings about turning away women who are trying to sexually pursue him, despite the fact that he’s found the one. But at the other end of the spectrum on “It Just Ain’t Right” he’s asking his ex-girl if she thinks about him in a sexual manner as he thinks about her and he knows it just ain’t right because they’re both involved in other relationships now.

Neyo’s debut album is definitely one to put on the Ipod people. The bad news about In My Own Words, is unfortunately it does contain one or two album fillers, the good news is, even the fillers have potential!