Shaffer Chimere Smith, known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. Regarded as a leading figure of 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades including three Grammy Awards. He gained recognition for his songwriting abilities following the success of his first major credit, Mario's 2004 single "Let Me Love You". Its release prompted a meeting between Ne-Yo and Def Jam's then-president Jay-Z, resulting in a contract in which he released four successful studio albums and numerous hit songs for the label.
"Don't Cha" is a song written by Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The chorus is a slightly modified interpolation of the chorus line sung by Sir Mix-a-Lot in a song he wrote called "Swass" (1988). The song was originally recorded and published in 2004 by Tori Alamaze, former backing vocalist for the hip hop duo OutKast, and was released as her debut single. After minor success, and dissatisfaction with Universal Records, Alamaze gave up her rights to the song.
PCD is the debut studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 12, 2005, by A&M Records. In 1995, the Pussycat Dolls were created as a burlesque troupe by choreographer Robin Antin. After attracting media attention, Antin struck a joint venture with Interscope Records to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand, with Jimmy Iovine assigning the project to Ron Fair. As one of the executive producers Fair produced the majority of the album and collaborated with producers like Kwamé, Polow da Don and Rich Harrison. The music style of PCD was described as pop/R&B and urban dance-pop. Lyrically the album incorporates sexual innuendo and explores the themes of feminism and romance. It features guest vocals from rappers Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and will.i.am.
"Stickwitu" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written by Franne Golde, Kasia Livingston and Robert Palmer and produced by Ron Fair. A pop ballad with soul influences, the song finds the group celebrating monogamous relationships, with music critics drawing comparisons to fellow girl groups Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation, and the Spice Girls. It was released as the album's second single on September 26, 2005, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
"Beep" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It features will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, who composed the song with additional writing from Kara DioGuardi and Jeff Lynne, and additional production from Ron Fair. The song contains a sample of "Evil Woman" by Electric Light Orchestra. It was released as the third single from PCD on February 6, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
"Buttons" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written by Sean Garrett, Jamal Jones, Jason Perry and group member Nicole Scherzinger, and produced by the former two alongside Ron Fair. It is a hip hop-influenced pop and R&B track featuring synthesizers and a Middle Eastern rhythm, with the group pleading a reluctant man to help them undress whilst adopting a submissive stance. A remix version featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg was released as the album's fourth single on April 11, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
The discography of American girl group the Pussycat Dolls consists of two studio albums, two extended plays, two video albums, 15 singles, two promotional singles, and 15 music videos. To date, the group has sold 15 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide.
Because of You is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings on April 25, 2007 in the United States. Ne-Yo reteamed with many previous collaborators to work on the follow-up to his debut album In My Own Words (2006), involving Ron "Neff-U" Feemster, StarGate, and Shea Taylor, as well as new and upcoming musicians such as The Heavyweights, Eric Hudson, Timothy Bloom, Knobody, and Syience. Next to them, Because of You features guest vocal contributions from rapper Jay-Z on "Crazy" and fellow R&B singer Jennifer Hudson on "Leaving Tonight".
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe mainstream as a pop group. Antin negotiated a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records in 2003 turning the group into a music franchise comprising Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt. Their debut single, "Sway", was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film Shall We Dance?.
In a Perfect World... is the debut studio album of American singer Keri Hilson. It was released on March 24, 2009, through Zone 4, Mosley Music Group and Interscope Records. Originally planned for a 2007 release, it was pushed back numerous times into 2008, amid her label's budget issues and minor single releases. The production on the album was handled primarily by Timbaland, Polow da Don and Danja, among others.
The discography of American singer Ne-Yo consists of nine studio albums, forty-one singles, several guest appearances with other artists, as well as production and songwriting for other artists.
"Bust It Baby" is a single by American rapper Plies released on January 25, 2008, and is the first single from Plies' second album, Definition of Real. The original was featured as a bonus track on Definition of Real, while "Bust It Baby Pt. 2", which features R&B singer Ne-Yo, is an official track on the album.
Year of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings on September 16, 2008 in the United States. As with his previous albums In My Own Words (2006) and Because of You (2007), Ne-Yo worked with Stargate, Reggie "Syience" Perry, and Shea Taylor on much of the album, but also consulted new collaborators, including Chuck Harmony, Polow da Don, The Stereotypes, Butter Beats, and Shomari "Sho" Wilson.
"When I Grow Up" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was released by Interscope Records on May 27, 2008, as the lead single from the album. It was first written for Britney Spears, but was rejected. It was then considered and recorded for Nicole Scherzinger's planned solo project, Her Name Is Nicole, but after its cancellation and Scherzinger's return to the group, she felt that the song was better suited for the group. "When I Grow Up" was written by Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who also produced the song. It is an uptempo electropop and R&B song, sampling the 1966 song, "He's Always There" by British rock band The Yardbirds. "When I Grow Up" speaks about the desire to be famous, and was described as being "autobiographical" by Scherzinger.
Doll Domination is the second and final studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. The album's release was preceded by the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar. Development began in February 2008 where the group worked with previous collaborators Sean Garrett, Polow da Don and Timbaland and new ones such as Darkchild, J-Roc and Chase N. Cashe. Polow da Don, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg also make guest performances on the album. Several songs on Doll Domination were originally recorded for the lead singer Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, Her Name is Nicole, which was shelved after the under-performance of its preceding singles.
"Bottle Pop" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second studio album, Doll Domination (2008). It was written and produced by Sean Garrett and Fernando Garibay, with additional songwriting by lead singer Nicole Scherzinger. The song features American rapper Snoop Dogg, whom they previously collaborated with in "Buttons" (2006). Musically, "Bottle Pop" is an electronica song that uses sexual innuendo and has been compared to works of Ciara, Flo Rida, Petey Pablo, Britney Spears, and Gwen Stefani. In New Zealand, it was released on February 23, 2009 with rapper Devolo who replaces Dogg for its single release, while the following month it was available for digital download in Australia and Germany.
"Single" is the second single from New Kids on the Block's fifth studio album, The Block, which is a duet with Ne-Yo. The lead vocals were sung by Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Jordan Knight. Donnie also rapped in the song.
"Jai Ho! " is a song by Indian composer A. R. Rahman and American girl group The Pussycat Dolls, recorded for the re-release of the group's second studio album Doll Domination (2008) and their EP Doll Domination – The Mini Collection (2009). It was released on February 23, 2009, by Interscope Records as the fourth single from the album and is an English remake of the original Hindi song "Jai Ho" which is taken from the soundtrack to the hit film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The remake was conceived by record executives Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair who tasked the Dolls' lead singer Nicole Scherzinger with creating a pop record that did not deviate from the original melody. Iovine and Fair also asked a number of other writers to create interpretations of the song, including Brick & Lace, The Writing Camp and Ester Dean. The final English version of "Jai Ho" was dubbed "Jai Ho! " and is sometimes also referred to as the "RF Mix" or "Ron Fair" Remix.
R.E.D., is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, first released on October 31, 2012, in Japan. The album follows the disappointing commercial performance to 2010's Libra Scale and is Ne-Yo's first album with new label Motown Records after being appointed as the label's senior vice president for A&R. The album contains songs that crossover different genres of music, combining elements of R&B, pop and dance-pop.
Doll Domination – The Mini Collection is the second extended play (EP) by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was released on May 24, 2009 by Interscope Records. The EP is an extension of the group's second studio album, Doll Domination (2008), including some previously released singles, such as "When I Grow Up", "Whatcha Think About That" and "I Hate This Part", as well as three new songs. The Mini Collection was one of several reissues released throughout 2009 as further promotion for the Doll Domination era, being released in between the European and Australasian legs of the group's Doll Domination Tour. It debuted at number nine on both the Scottish Albums Chart and UK Albums Chart, and would go on to be certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of at least 100,000 in the UK.
