//Ne-Yo Brings You “Year of the Gentlemen”//

Singer/songwriter Ne-Yo (born Shaffer Chimere Smith) made his leap from behind the scenes into the mainstream music world in a big way in 2006 with his double-platinum debut album In My Own Words. In 2007 he followed up the successful album with his sophomore album Because of You. The album won a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album this past February. Now Ne-Yo is back in the lab working on his third album tentatively titled Year of the Gentlemen.

MTV News caught up with the star to discuss his new album, working with Lindsay Lohan, touring with Alicia Keys, and being dissed by R. Kelly. Check below for some quotables:

On the new album:

“I’m trying to take it back to where you couldn’t walk out of the house unless you looked your best,” he explained of the album title. “Back in the day of, say, the Rat Pack and Nat King Cole … any picture you ever see, they’re suited and everything is right from top to bottom. Not saying it has to be a suit, ’cause clothes don’t make the man – it’s the attitude and person. The music needs to personify that. A lot of this music [on the album], some of it is gonna be urban, some of it is gonna be pop. Some is gonna ride that middle.”

On Lindsay Lohan:

“I didn’t necessarily pick that,” he smiled. “It was brought to me. Lindsay Lohan’s people said, ‘We would like for you to put a song together for her.’ I just viewed it as a challenge. I don’t know how to write for Lindsay Lohan. I don’t know what Lindsay Lohan is doing right now. But it’s a challenge, so I’mma give her my best. I gave her a song, and I think they really, really like it. Me and [Norwegian producing team] Stargate put something together, and she likes it.”

Read the full article here.

Listen to the new single, Closer, here.

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