Today's Song: Ne-Yo featuring Fabolous and Diddy "Should Be You"
Ne-Yo's fifth album, R.E.D., was released last Tuesday and sold about 66,000 copies its first week in stores. That's about 40 percent less than his last album, Libra Scale, did its first week out, and that album was considered a disappointment. While it breaks no new ground, it's a shame that R.E.D. will probably go forgotten, as it's a collection of well-sung and -written R&B that surveys and attempts to perfect the genre's current trends. One of the loveliest tracks is "Should Be You," a Salaam Remi-produced bit of hip-hop soul that knocks like it's '96 and reminds me the most of Mario Winans' excellent "I Don't Wanna Know." That is manages to be great despite a guest verse from Diddy is a feat in itself.