In My Own Words

In My Own Words is the debut studio album of American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on February 28, 2006. Conceived following his songwriting breakthrough with "Let Me Love You" for fellow R&B singer Mario in 2004,[5] Ne-Yo worked with musicians Ron "Neff-U" Feemster, Brandon Howard, Shea Taylor, and Curtis "Sauce" Wilson, as well as Norwegian production duo Stargate on most of the album, some of which would become regular contributors on subsequent projects. The singer co-wrote the lyrics for each song on In My Own Words which features guest appearances by rappers Peedi Peedi and Ghostface Killah.

In My Own Words
Studio album by
Ne-Yo
ReleasedFebruary 28, 2006 (2006-02-28)
Recorded2005–2006
Studio
GenreR&B
Length49:35
Label
Producer
Ne-Yo chronology
In My Own Words
(2006)		 Because of You
(2007)
Singles from In My Own Words
  1. "Stay"
    Released: September 19, 2005[1]
  2. "So Sick"
    Released: November 21, 2005[2]
  3. "When You're Mad"
    Released: March 6, 2006[3]
  4. "Sexy Love"
    Released: June 6, 2006[4]

Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Contemporary R&B Album category.[6] It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with 301,000 copies sold, and reached the top ten of the Canadian Albums Chart. It was subsequently certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with 1,5 million copies sold in the United States,[7] and became a platinum-seller in Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom as well. Four singles were released from the album, including "Stay", "When You're Mad", "Sexy Love", and the number-one hit "So Sick". In further support, Ne-Yo went on tour in August 2006 with singer Chris Brown and Dem Franchize Boyz.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic69/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[9]
Los Angeles Times[10]
PopMatters(7/10)[11]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
Slant Magazine[14]
Stylus MagazineB[15]
USA Today[16]
Vibe[17]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 69, which indicates "generally favorable" reviews, based on 11 reviews.[6] AllMusic editor Andy Kellman gave In My Own Words a four-and-a-half-out-of-five-stars-rating and noted that it "could turn out to be the most impressive R&B debut of 2006, as well as one of several milestones in a lengthy career [...] It's very focused and surprisingly taut, especially for a debut that involves several producers [...] Its modern approach, interlocked with touches of '70s and '80s R&B sensibilities, is also in effect for the entirety of the album."[8] In his review for USA Today, Steve Jones remarked that "Ne-Yo is the latest in a recent line of engaging young R&B singers but with his own words he sets himself apart [...] On his soulful solo debut, it's apparent that the Las Vegas-bred singer saved some of his best lyrical work for himself."[16]

Dan Nishimoto from PopMatters declared the album a "notable success. With spare but clean, rounded yet consistent production, the album has an appealing azure quality."[11] Billboard found that "though, at times, the lyrics are a bit too sentimental and production is spotty, In My Own Words should have listeners clinging to Ne-Yo's every word."[6] Kelefa Sanneh, writer for The New York Times, complimented Ne-Yo for his "smooth" writing and added: "Not everything on this CD is that brilliant, or that shameless, but Ne-Yo is a deft and appealing player in the game of modern-day R&B."[18] Slightly less impressed, Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani found that In My Own Words "might pale next to [John] Legend’s stellar debut, but, even at its Robert Kelly worst, it’s not hateable. And isn’t that all one can ask for from mainstream R&B these days?"[14] Blender wrote that "even at its weepiest, his music, thankfully, stays vivacious."[6] Raymond Fiore from Entertainment Weekly called the album a "confident if slightly underwhelming debut."[9]

Commercial performance

In his home country of the United States, In My Own Words debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with 301,000 copies sold in its first week.[19] In its second week, the album remained in the top ten at Billboard 200, fell to number five, selling 113,000 copies (down 62 percent).[20] In its third week, the album jump to number four on the chart, selling 77,000 copies (down 33 percent).[21] On March 29, 2006, the album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for sales of over a million copies.[22] As of March 2007, In My Own Words has sold 1.4 million copies in the United States.[23]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Stay" (featuring Peedi Peedi)
Feemster3:52
2."Let Me Get This Right"
  • Smith
  • Brian "B-Nasty" Reid
  • Ridge
  • Blaylock
Reid3:48
3."So Sick"
Stargate3:29
4."When You're Mad"
Taylor3:42
5."It Just Ain't Right"
Wilson3:48
6."Mirror"
  • Smith
  • Taylor
Taylor3:48
7."Sign Me Up"
  • Smith
  • Feemster
Feemster3:27
8."I Ain't Gotta Tell You"
3:17
9."Get Down Like That"
Pope4:06
10."Sexy Love"
  • Smith
  • Hermansen
  • Eriksen
Stargate3:41
11."Let Go"
  • Smith
  • Hermansen
  • Eriksen
Stargate3:49
12."Time"
  • Smith
  • Hermansen
  • Eriksen
Stargate3:49
13."Get Down Like That (Remix)" (featuring Ghostface Killah)
Pope4:59
Total length:49:35
UK bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Girlfriend"
Sixx John4:00
14."Get Down Like That (Remix)" (featuring Ghostface Killah)
  • Smith
  • Pope
  • Sigler
  • Coles
Pope4:59
Total length:53:35
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Girlfriend"
  • Smith
  • Gamble
  • Huff
  • John
Sixx John4:00
14."Lonely"
  • Smith
  • John
John4:41
15."Get Down Like That (Remix)" (featuring Ghostface Killah)
  • Smith
  • Pope
  • Sigler
  • Coles
Pope4:57
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[24]

  • Tom Coyne – mastering
  • Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing (tracks 3–6, 8, 9, 11, 13)
  • Mikkel S. Eriksen – producer, engineer, and all instruments (tracks 3, 10–12)
  • Ron "Neff-U" Feemstar – producer (tracks 1, 7)
  • Ghostface Killah – rap (track 13)
  • Larry Gold – strings (track 12)
  • Tor Erik Hermansen – producer and all instruments (tracks 3, 10–12)
  • Robert "Bob the Builder" Horn – engineer and mixing (tracks 1, 2, 7)
  • Brandon Howard – additional production (track 8)
  • Alrad "Boola" Lewis – producer (track 8)
  • Ne-Yo – vocals (all tracks)
  • Peedi Peedi – vocals (track 1)
  • Dave Pensado – mixing (track 12)
  • Ervin "EP" Pope – producer (tracks 9, 13)
  • Brian "B-Nasty" Reid – producer (track 2)
  • Nisan Stewart – drums (track 12)
  • Sean Tallman – additional engineering (tracks 3, 4, 6, 9, 13)
  • Phil Tan – mixing (track 10)
  • Shea Taylor – producer and guitar (tracks 4, 6)
  • Michael Tocci – engineer (track 5)
  • Curtis "Sauce" Wilson – producer (track 5), engineer (tracks 4, 6, 9, 13)

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[44] Platinum 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Platinum 300,000‡
United States (RIAA)[22] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1624. September 16, 2005. p. 27.
  2. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1633. November 18, 2005. p. 23.
  3. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1647. March 3, 2006. p. 47.
  4. "CHR". FMQB. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  5. Reid, Shaheem. "Jay-Z's Picks: Teairra Mari, Rihanna, Ne-Yo". MTV. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  6. "In My Own Words". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  7. Wood, Mikael (April 21, 2008). "R&B singer Ne-Yo "bored" by urban music". Reuters. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  8. Kellman, Andy. "In My Own Words – Ne-Yo". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  9. Fiore, Raymond (February 27, 2006). "In My Own Words". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  10. Nichols, Natalie (March 5, 2006). "Sonic gadgets at war with 'Words'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  11. Nishimoto, Dan (April 21, 2006). "Ne-Yo: In My Own Words". PopMatters. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  12. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Ne-Yo". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  13. Ringen, Jonathan (March 27, 2006). "Ne-Yo: In My Own Words". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  14. Cinquemani, Sal (March 1, 2006). "Review: Ne-Yo, In My Own Words". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  15. Inskeep, Thomas (April 24, 2006). "Ne-Yo – In My Own Words". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  16. Jones, Steve (February 27, 2006). "Ne-Yo's 'Words' rings true; Cascada's pop flows". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  17. Cummings, Jozen (February 2006). "Ne-Yo: In My Own Words". Vibe. Vibe Media. 13 (2): 129.
  18. Sanneh, Kelefa (February 27, 2006). "Critics' Choice: New CD's". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  19. Hasty, Katie (March 8, 2006). "Ne-Yo's 'Words' Speak Volumes At No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  20. Hasty, Katie (March 15, 2006). "Juvenile's 'Reality' Upends Ne-Yo At No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  21. Hasty, Katie (March 22, 2006). "'High School' Returns To The Top Of The Class". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
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