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Ne-Yo shines in Spark Arena concert

Author
Lana Andelane,
Publish Date
Sun, 6 Oct 2024, 11:20am

Ne-Yo shines in Spark Arena concert

Author
Lana Andelane,
Publish Date
Sun, 6 Oct 2024, 11:20am

REVIEW

If there鈥檚 one thing to expect at a Ne-Yo concert, it鈥檚 twerking. Lots of it.

The multi-hyphenate鈥檚 sole date at Auckland鈥檚 Spark Arena, the last of the Australasian leg of his 鈥淐hampagne & Roses鈥 world tour, began with a call to the frenzied crowd: three 鈥渟ingle鈥 ladies would be cherry-picked to dance on stage alongside their idol. However, to secure their spot, they鈥檇 have to demonstrate their abilities - and some 20 women rose to the challenge.

With attendees instructed to cast their phone lights on their nearest candidates, the crowd suddenly erupted into booty-shaking bedlam. Without so much as a shred of self-doubt, the gorgeous girl seated in front of my partner stood up, turned around, grabbed the back of her seat and began twerking with reckless abandon. My partner didn鈥檛 know where to look, but he certainly wasn鈥檛 complaining.

We were bearing witness to the Ne-Yo effect: a phenomenon similar to the knickers-throwing Sir Tom Jones inspired in the 1960s. From his leopard print suit (very chic) to his fluttering falsetto and smooth-as-butter dance moves, Ne-Yo鈥檚 entire image is built on appealing to the female fan. The crowd, while peppered with obliging boyfriends, was dominated by adoring women - many of whom were willing to risk it all for a chance to share the same air as the R&B icon.

A mainstay of the R&B and pop soundscape for going on two decades, Ne-Yo, real name Shaffer Chimere Smith, is a showman who knows his audience - and what do women want?

Well, a sweaty towel, apparently. But more on that later.

Ne-Yo knows how to put on a show. Photo / Tom GrutNe-Yo knows how to put on a show. Photo / Tom Grut

The 44-year-old opened his hour-and-a-half set with the dance-pop banger Closer, a track from 2008鈥瞫 Year of the Gentleman. Silhouetted against a firework shimmering across the LED screen, the crooner and his signature top hat appeared to feverish cheers with a Tongan flag draped around his shoulders.

Flanked by an incredible troupe of dancers and a live band, Ne-Yo launched into seamless, high-octane choreography that had the exhilarated audience eating from the palm of his hand. Closer set the tone for the night, but at times, it appeared the hitmaker struggled to maintain it.

Early on, it was evident from our seats that the band - all extremely talented in their own right - were overshadowing Ne-Yo鈥檚 live vocals, which also had to compete with the backing track. The sound quality was inconsistent throughout, with his dancefloor anthems in particular tending to drown out his singing abilities.

Closer was followed by Because of You, the title track from his second album, and Nobody, also from Year of the Gentleman. It鈥檚 then he addresses the audience for the first time, a brief introductory speech that offered the crowd little to no indication he even knew he was in New Zealand.

鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna laugh a little bit, cry a little bit, and definitely sing a little bit,鈥 he crowed, a line that could - and probably has - been utilised at every other tour date.

While it鈥檚 not make or break, it鈥檚 often appreciated when an artist puts a little thought into how they can customise their audience interactions; for example, Lizzo doing a shoey at her Sydney concert last year. Partaking in a cultural ritual or learning some of the local slang not only makes the artist more relatable, but endears them to their audience.

But what the show may have lacked in personalisation, it made up for in spectacle. The man鈥檚 talent as a dancer should never be understated, his razor-sharp yet butter-smooth moves taking cues from the late Michael Jackson. From the odd pyrotechnic effect to the slick choreography and giant LED screens emblazoned with colourful graphics and music video clips, 鈥淐hampagne & Roses鈥 was a feast for the eyes.

Champagne Life and One in a Million followed, while Sexy Love - from Ne-Yo鈥檚 2006 debut In My Own Words - had the fans in raptures.

Ne-Yo made his entrance with a Tongan flag around his shoulders. Photo / Tom GrutNe-Yo made his entrance with a Tongan flag around his shoulders. Photo / Tom Grut

It鈥檚 before Sexy Love when Ne-Yo decides it鈥檚 time to pick a lucky lady in the front row to, um, hold his water bottle - a 鈥渂ig responsibility鈥, he says. Righto.

鈥淪he needs to be alert, she needs to be aware, focused, and it wouldn鈥檛 hurt if she鈥檚 cute too,鈥 he explains. 鈥淚f the rest of the show sounds like s**t, it鈥檚 her fault.鈥

Later on in the show, 鈥渨ater girl鈥 - who we find out is the attendee behind the Tongan flag - is rewarded with a towel, wet with the sweat from Ne-Yo鈥檚 chiselled abdomen. It鈥檚 clearly intended as a playful bit, but you can鈥檛 help but wonder - what echelon of success does one have to reach to start believing their sweaty towels are genuinely desired? It鈥檚 a special brand of narcissism, but in this context, it works.

The setlist moves at a swift pace, the truncated tracks allowing Ne-Yo to squeeze in a range of 鈥渃lassic classics鈥 and 鈥渇uture classics鈥; the latter referring to his newer, lesser-known material, the former being 鈥渢he songs you might鈥檝e lost your virginity to鈥. My experience was decidedly less romantic, but there you go.

After She Knows, the audience is welcomed into 鈥渢he Gentleman鈥檚 Lair鈥, illustrated by footage of a scantily clad dancer coiling around a pole and close-ups of women鈥檚 enviable bodies. Ne-Yo emerges in a sparkling black suit and launches into Single, followed by Lazy Love, You Got the Body, and Mirror. This segment is intended for his more sensual material, emphasised by the celebration of the female form. However, the slower tempo appeared to lose the crowd, with many in the standing area appearing inattentive and distracted. At one point, a dancer鈥檚 bare butt straddles Ne-Yo鈥檚 face - and even that wasn鈥檛 enough to bring them back.

But just as we found ourselves clock-watching, Ne-Yo returned to his tried and trusted material, launching into the classic break-up anthem and certified banger, So Sick. The venue glimmers with phone lights as the crowd sings along with gusto. We鈥檙e back, baby.

However, a comment about sexual assault didn't land well. Photo / Tom GrutHowever, a comment about sexual assault didn't land well. Photo / Tom Grut

It鈥檚 then time for the three hand-picked ladies to come on stage, where they take turns in gyrating and grinding against Ne-Yo with a confidence I could only dream of. Ne-Yo appears more than pleased with the selection but is quickly taken by contestant three, whom he brands his 鈥渇uture baby mama鈥. Her reward? Another sweaty towel.

鈥滾adies and gentlemen, I was sexually assaulted and I liked it. I had a great time and I鈥檇 do it again,鈥 Ne-Yo declares as the women leave the stage. My smile falters; given the unfolding allegations against Sean 鈥淒iddy鈥 Combs, who has faced multiple lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, the remark feels tone-deaf and tasteless.

The third part of the show returns to welcome throwbacks, with a focus on stripped-back ballads that allow Ne-Yo鈥檚 voice - still as strong as it was almost 20 years ago - to truly shine. Do You and Mad, which have the impassioned crowd screaming along like apostles, are followed by Don鈥檛 Love Me and 2 Million Secrets. We鈥檙e then treated to a highlight reel of his work as a songwriter (snippets of Keri Hilson鈥檚 Knock You Down, Rihanna鈥檚 Take a Bow and Beyonce鈥檚 Irreplaceable) before he returns to the stage in a third outfit to cover Mario鈥檚 R&B classic, Let Me Love You, followed by Miss Independent. The combination rallies the fans, serving as a perfect lead-in to the final chapter - his dance music.

It鈥檚 at this point you realise just how extensive this man鈥檚 back catalogue is; Ne-Yo not only made his mark as an R&B crooner in the 2000s, but became a mainstay of 2010s鈥 dance-pop. Hit after hit galvanises the crowd, the stands shaking as thousands get to their feet and groove along to Beautiful Monster, 2 The Moon, and Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself). It may be dance music, but Ne-Yo鈥檚 dancing is becoming more infrequent - to be fair, I would be knackered after the opener - with the visual element now largely reliant on pyrotechnics, plumes of smoke and dazzling lights.

It鈥檚 at this point Ne-Yo asks the crowd, 鈥淚s anybody tired? Is anybody hungry? Is anybody ready to go home?鈥

Yes, yes, almost. But we鈥檝e got a few more bangers to get through first.

The show wraps with the holy quartet: Let鈥檚 Go, Play Hard, Time of Our Lives, and Give Me Everything. Bursts of streamers fall into the crowd. A beaming Ne-Yo, his washboard abs on full display, makes his farewells - and we鈥檙e suddenly contestants in an unspoken race to get to the doors first.

My final thoughts? Ne-Yo ultimately can鈥檛 shake his back catalogue, no matter how strong his new material might be. He is ultimately a legacy artist defined by his early output, and while his 鈥渇uture classics鈥 were still appreciated by loyal fans, they failed to resonate with more casual listeners.

All in all, the show operated like a well-oiled machine; Ne-Yo, his dancers and the band all clearly rehearsed to perfection. Yet 鈥減erfection鈥 is the operative word: there was something inherently 鈥渂y the books鈥 about it all. Perhaps it was the lack of banter or off-the-cuff interaction, but at times it felt that Ne-Yo was performing by the numbers: so slick, so smooth, it was almost mechanical.

Of course, die-hard fans clearly didn鈥檛 mind - and that鈥檚 who 鈥淐hampagne & Roses鈥 is for.

Lana Andelane is an Auckland-based multimedia journalist covering lifestyle and entertainment stories. She joined the Herald in 2024 and enjoys anything related to pop culture, fashion, beauty or music.

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