“There’s nothing like hearing the oohs and aahs from the Tiny Desk audience when a recognizable note hits the soul. Ne-Yo’s setlist stoked up audible gasps with nonstop hits from his catalog and a few he’s written for megastars. He came draped in a bedazzled outfit and his signature fedora (one we had to ask him to adjust to see his eyes.) Not to be outdone, the band came outfitted in matching earth tones and sounded just as good as they looked.

As with most artists who’ve spent years on the radio, the charts and in the club, the challenge in our space is encapsulating those moments. He accepted this challenge by putting together a medley of some of his most celebrated jams, showing off just how prolific his pen is. “I’ve written a couple songs since I’ve been doing this thang,” the singer said before passing Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” to background singer, Pamela Westbrook. Before the premiere of his “confessional,” the song “Two Million Secrets,” the singer reminded us that he also wrote Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” and co-wrote Mario’s “Let Me Love You.” He shared with us that there was a healthy dose of nerves during his set, but — forever the showman — Ne-Yo gave the ladies what they came for closing with “Miss Independent.”

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