
Ne-Yo's new album, Self Explanatory, is finally here and in the hands of his fans. The 13-song project has been a couple of years in the making and features the five singles that he dropped prior to its release: "U 2 Luv" with Jeremih, "What If," "Stay Down" with Yung Bleu, "Don't Love Me" and "You Got The Body." Not one just drop an album and stop promoting it, the multitalented artist is keeping the singles and videos coming with his latest “Handle Me Gently.”
For many fellas who might be in the doghouse from neglecting their ladies, this song is just what the doctor ordered. Ne-Yo has proven himself to be a master at crafting lyrics that speak to affairs of the heart, and “Handle Me Gently” goes into that column.
Ne-Yo recognizes that he hasn’t been doing the little things that mean a lot to his woman, and he issues a lyrical mea culpa. "Baby girl, I know that I can be distant / Charge it to my hustle and not bad intention / Want you to have everything that you been missing / I wanna be better, girl, instruct me and I’ll listen," he sings, full of sincerity.
“Handle Me Gently” sounds like vintage Ne-Yo. The song has a midtempo R&B/pop feel with excellent use of strings that complement a slick drumbeat, lively keys and, of course, Ne-Yo’s trademark vocals on lead and backgrounds.
The visualizer for the song finds Ne-Yo in the studio, working hard to finish this song. He is dressed casually and wearing a hat, but not the fly fedora we expect to see him in, opting instead for a trucker hat.
We witness him at various stages of the recording process: writing the lyrics, laying down the vocals, trying out different chords and melodies on the keys, etc. He gets animated at times, as he finds the right words and truly feels what he is singing. As he sings the last note, he yells out “That’s a wrap!” as the video ends.
Ne-Yo is back in his bag, showing and proving that he has plenty of great music left in him. Self Explanatory displays his versatility, and his pen game is on fire. To hear one of the stronger songs on the album and to get a glimpse of what his creative process looks like, check out the visual for “Handle Me Gently” below.