R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo delivered a solid performance of his hit single, “Miss Independent” on Late Show with David Letterman on October 16, 2008. It’s the second single from the Grammy Award winner’s third studio album, Year of the Gentleman, released on September 16 and in stores now.
A recent article in the L.A. Times profiled Ne-Yo and his impeccable style.
His retro style — or “swag” as he calls it — informs every element of the performance. Flanked by four female dancers, he sings in front of an old-school band with a full horn section. His moves — rocking in time interspersed with slices of intricate footwork — rival Usher’s for sheer smoothness.
Ne-Yo purposefully evokes the 1940s and 1950s….
- “when music to me was its most real,” he says during a recent backstage interview. “Back then, it meant something to be an entertainer. You would see the Rat Pack in a suit and tie, but if it wasn’t a suit and tie, it was a shirt with a collar — something mature. You were fly 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The singer is hardly ever without a hat. “My dad didn’t give me much, but he did give me his screwy hairline,” he notes, exposing his slightly balding pate. By day, he wears one of his many Kangol newsboy caps; by night, he switches to short-brimmed fedoras — cocked to the side, just like Ol’ Blue Eyes.
Source: Ne-Yo, a gentleman inside and out
Photo credit: Def Jam
