Urban review: Ne-Yo, Year of the Gentleman

He made his name delving into the female psyche on songs penned for Rihanna, Beyoncé and Mary J Blige, so it is no surprise that Ne-Yo now considers himself an expert on gentlemanliness. His third album lives up to its title: Ne-Yo stands by as the love of his life marries another man, praises career women and repeatedly castigates himself as unworthy of his heroines' attention. His flattery is suave, but his prodigious songwriting talent is even smoother. Ne-Yo excels at scene-setting, concisely pulling the listener into complex situations. Take the opening to So You Can Cry: "So it's over. He's with someone else, and you know her" - in just one couplet, the song is freighted with emotion. Happily, Ne-Yo's penchant for the odd moment of baffling imagery remains - a few lines on, he declares: "I'm sorry, I won't attend your pity party/ I'd rather go have calamari." His way with a melody is unstoppable, made all the more effective by his understated, no-frills approach to performing.