Ne-Yo On The Album He Wrote For MJ

When we ran into songwriter extraordinaire Ne-Yo last summer, he’d just started writing songs for Michael Jackson’s comeback album.

He completed the songs, but isn’t sure if he ever wants them to see the light of day:

It’s sitting there, waiting to either come out on someone else or not come out at all. I don’t know. I’m kind of on the fence because it was music that was meant to go to Michael, so I would kind of feel funny about giving it to someone else.

Some people have been like, ‘Well, why don’t you release it yourself?’

Same reason. Because it was supposed to go to Mike. So I don’t know. I’ll sit and listen to it again and figure out what I want to do.”

The work, said Ne-Yo, was melodic, realistic, and cheery.

“He didn’t want anything too sad or downtrodden. He wanted it to be upbeat.

Melodic was the word that kept being repeated.

‘It has to be melodic.

There has to be a melody that you can listen to half of once and be singing that.’"

Source: MJFC / NY Magazine