Today (April 26), NPR unveiled the latest episode of their "Tiny Desk Concert" series with none other than Ne-Yo, who quickly proved that he wasn't coming to play around. During the 23-minute set, the Grammy Award winner blessed the masses with smooth renditions of "So Sick," "Because Of You," and more. He also performed cuts that he wrote for his peers, including Rihanna’s “Take A Bow” and Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable."
In addition to the classics, Ne-Yo premiered a new track titled "Two Million Secrets." “This song took a little bit of growth on my part to even write, and even more to sing. This song is basically about owning your s**t," he explained about the soulful offering. "Nobody is above mistakes. Nobody is above redemption. You do better and you keep pushing. This song is not a song, this song is a confession."
Back in 2022, the Las Vegas-based talent unveiled his ninth studio LP, Self Explanatory. That project consisted of 13 songs and collaborations alongside Jeremih, Trippie Redd, Yung Bleu, and Zae France. He spoke on the creation of Self Explanatory in an interview with REVOLT.
“I started this album process back in 2018 and then COVID happened, throwing a monkey wrench in everything and everyone’s situation — including mine," he revealed. "During the course of that time, there was a moment where I did get a little lost, and I had to figure out where I fit in this new sound, look, and industry... I have two whole generations coming up behind me, so it was a moment where I was wondering if Ne-Yo even still fits in the industry."
Ne-Yo continued, "I had to realize that I am not in the business of selling records as that is a record label’s job. My job as a performer and a singer is to sing my heart out, make sure my art is genuine and real, and deliver it to the world, [and] let the world figure out what they want to do with it."
Check out the veteran singer's "Tiny Desk" takeover below.