This Is It
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Ne-Yo is torn over what to do with a treasure trove of music he wrote especially for Michael Jackson before the megastar's untimely death.
The R&B singer is sitting on dozens of songs he penned for Jackson as the late king of pop was preparing to kickstart his career for the final time.
Ne-Yo is one of America's most bankable songwriters, backing up smash singles for Beyonce and Rihanna with a trail of his own dollar stacking hits.
But the star steadfastly refuses to sell off the music he wrote for Jackson and is reluctant to release the songs under his own name out of respect for his idol.
"The songs are sitting in archives but I really don't know what to do with them," Ne-Yo said in Sydney.
"I can't sell them on to someone else as that would be disrespectful but I also think it might be disrespectful to bring them out myself.
"So I don't know, I'll sit on them and wait. It's definitely quality music but they were songs written absolutely for Michael Jackson."
His brief relationship with Jackson developed in 2008 when Ne-Yo was contacted by Black Eyed Peas producer will.i.am to work on what would have been a comeback album.
The 30-year-old singer was handpicked by Jackson after the success of his smash hits So Sick and Sexy love.
Despite all the controversy surrounding his life, Ne-Yo found the world's most famous performer to be businesslike and friendly.
"He was normal, as odd as that may sound," Ne-Yo explained.
"I felt quite bad as I'd allowed what the media had done to his name and image to have me thinking, 'Ok what's this about to be? Is this going to be weird?'
"But he walked in in a black suit and some sun glasses and was a genuine nice guy. And it wasn't because he wanted something from me, he just had no reason other than to be a decent guy.
"We talked about the state of music, what he liked and didn't like. One thing that was interesting is that he views music in shapes and colours and that's how I think.
"He told me he admired my music and I could have fainted right there. I was like, `You like my music? You're the reason I make music'.
"So I wanted to bring something good to the table."
Ne-Yo set to work on a variety of songs ranging from upbeat dance tracks to heartfelt ballads, sending three or four drafts a week to Jackson.
"Melodic and meaningful. Those were the two words which kept coming back to me," he said.
"Michael told me the melodies needed to be the ones you heard once and could sing back, and the lyrics needed to have meaning and depth."
"He believed what was wrong with a lot of music today is that people aren't singing about anything.
"If it's not about a party or sex then it's about money, and there's not really much to that.
"Michael told me, 'I need songs that mean something to somebody and that's what I need you for'. I was honoured."
Despite writing a number of tracks for Jackson, the album project was put on hold while the singer shifted his attention towards his This Is It world tour, which was scheduled to begin in London in the summer in 2009.
Weeks before the opening concert Jackson died at his Los Angeles home following a lethal injection of prescription drugs.
Ne-Yo later paid tribute to Jackson by performing his song Lady In My Life at the 2009 BET Awards.
He hopes one day to be able to pay his respects with the songs he wrote for the great entertainer.
"Hopefully the songs will see the light of day, it just has to be the right way."
Ne-Yo is in Australia on the Winterbeatz festival tour.
http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/ne-yo-mulls-over-michael-jackson-tracks-3677208
The R&B singer is sitting on dozens of songs he penned for Jackson as the late king of pop was preparing to kickstart his career for the final time.
Ne-Yo is one of America's most bankable songwriters, backing up smash singles for Beyonce and Rihanna with a trail of his own dollar stacking hits.
But the star steadfastly refuses to sell off the music he wrote for Jackson and is reluctant to release the songs under his own name out of respect for his idol.
"The songs are sitting in archives but I really don't know what to do with them," Ne-Yo said in Sydney.
"I can't sell them on to someone else as that would be disrespectful but I also think it might be disrespectful to bring them out myself.
"So I don't know, I'll sit on them and wait. It's definitely quality music but they were songs written absolutely for Michael Jackson."
His brief relationship with Jackson developed in 2008 when Ne-Yo was contacted by Black Eyed Peas producer will.i.am to work on what would have been a comeback album.
The 30-year-old singer was handpicked by Jackson after the success of his smash hits So Sick and Sexy love.
Despite all the controversy surrounding his life, Ne-Yo found the world's most famous performer to be businesslike and friendly.
"He was normal, as odd as that may sound," Ne-Yo explained.
"I felt quite bad as I'd allowed what the media had done to his name and image to have me thinking, 'Ok what's this about to be? Is this going to be weird?'
"But he walked in in a black suit and some sun glasses and was a genuine nice guy. And it wasn't because he wanted something from me, he just had no reason other than to be a decent guy.
"We talked about the state of music, what he liked and didn't like. One thing that was interesting is that he views music in shapes and colours and that's how I think.
"He told me he admired my music and I could have fainted right there. I was like, `You like my music? You're the reason I make music'.
"So I wanted to bring something good to the table."
Ne-Yo set to work on a variety of songs ranging from upbeat dance tracks to heartfelt ballads, sending three or four drafts a week to Jackson.
"Melodic and meaningful. Those were the two words which kept coming back to me," he said.
"Michael told me the melodies needed to be the ones you heard once and could sing back, and the lyrics needed to have meaning and depth."
"He believed what was wrong with a lot of music today is that people aren't singing about anything.
"If it's not about a party or sex then it's about money, and there's not really much to that.
"Michael told me, 'I need songs that mean something to somebody and that's what I need you for'. I was honoured."
Despite writing a number of tracks for Jackson, the album project was put on hold while the singer shifted his attention towards his This Is It world tour, which was scheduled to begin in London in the summer in 2009.
Weeks before the opening concert Jackson died at his Los Angeles home following a lethal injection of prescription drugs.
Ne-Yo later paid tribute to Jackson by performing his song Lady In My Life at the 2009 BET Awards.
He hopes one day to be able to pay his respects with the songs he wrote for the great entertainer.
"Hopefully the songs will see the light of day, it just has to be the right way."
Ne-Yo is in Australia on the Winterbeatz festival tour.
http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/ne-yo-mulls-over-michael-jackson-tracks-3677208
