Non-Fiction
Studio album by
Ne-Yo
ReleasedJanuary 27, 2015 (2015-01-27)
GenreR&B[1]
Length66:47
Label
Producer
Ne-Yo chronology
R.E.D.
(2012) 		Non-Fiction
(2015) 		Good Man
(2018)
Singles from Non-Fiction
  1. "Money Can't Buy"
    Released: May 29, 2014
  2. "She Knows"
    Released: September 16, 2014
  3. "Time of Our Lives"
    Released: November 17, 2014
  4. "Coming with You"
    Released: February 6, 2015

Non-Fiction is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Ne-Yo. The album was released on January 27, 2015, by Motown Records, serving as the follow-up to his fifth album R.E.D. (2012). The album was preceded by two singles: "Money Can't Buy" featuring Jeezy and "She Knows" featuring Juicy J.

Upon its release, the album was met with mixed reviews from music critics. The album reached number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week, making it the third album to miss the pinnacle of the chart since Libra Scale (2010) and also becoming the second male R&B artist to have six consecutive top 10 albums following Chris Brown in 2014.

Singles

"Money Can't Buy" featuring Jeezy was released via digital download on May 29, 2014, as the first single from Non-Fiction in North America; it was later sent to US urban contemporary radio on June 3, 2014. The song peaked at number 17 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, a listing of the top twenty-five songs that have yet to enter the main Hot 100, while charting at number 41 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

"She Knows" featuring Juicy J was released via digital download on September 16, 2014, as the album's lead single (second overall) in North America; it was sent to US urban contemporary, rhythmic, and contemporary hit radio. The single reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while charting at number six on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number two on the US Rhythmic Songs chart, and number 19 on the US Pop Songs chart.

"Time of Our Lives" with Pitbull was released via digital download on November 17, 2014, as the fifth single from Pitbull's album, Globalization, while also appearing on Non-Fiction; it was sent to US rhythmic radio on December 12, 2014. It became the best-performing release from Non-Fiction, peaking at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number one on the US Rhythmic Songs chart and at number four on the US Pop Songs chart. The song performed moderately in international markets, peaking within the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand, while charting within the lower regions of charts in Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Its music video was released on December 25, 2014.

"Coming with You" was sent to mainstream radio stations in the United States on April 14, 2015, as the fourth official single after being issued as the first international single in February.[2][3]

Promotional singles

In promotion for the album's release, several songs were released via iTunes Store as promotional singles in the weeks leading up to the album's release. "Coming with You" was released as the first on January 5, 2015. "Religious" and "Who's Taking You Home" followed on January 13, 2015, with "Religious" serving as the second international promotional single and the latter as the second in North America.[4][5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Complex[8]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[6]
Exclaim!7/10[1]
The Guardian[9]
Pitchfork6.4/10[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Slant Magazine[12]

The album was met with mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a "weighted average" rating out of 100 from selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", based on 12 reviews.[6] Andy Kellman of AllMusic highlighted the tracks "She Knows" and "One More" for being "tough but finely crafted slow jams" and the more uptempo "Coming with You" for being "a dazzling Stargate production like no other that contains a hip-house core and soars", saying that Non-Fiction "contains more standouts than any Ne-Yo album since Because of You."[7] In a review for Exclaim!, Del F. Cowie wrote that the record was "indicative of an underlying need to placate his various audiences," further explaining that Non-Fiction "delivers an uneven synthesis of the sounds Ne-Yo had already been exploring rather than the promised straight up R&B record."[1] Rolling Stone's Chuck Arnold felt that Ne-Yo had trouble keeping up the overall concept of the record and said the tracks influenced by Michael Jackson ("Coming with You") and Marvin Gaye ("Integrity") are where he performs better than the ones with more modern leanings.[11]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week.[13] The album opened at the top spot of the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[13] As of March 2015, the album sold over 108,000 in the US.[14]

In 2015, Non-Fiction was ranked as the 140th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[15]

Track listing

Non-Fiction — North American standard version[16]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Run" (featuring Schoolboy Q)
Key Wane3:07
2."Integrity" (featuring Charisse Mills)
Camper, Jr.3:54
3."One More" (featuring T.I.)
Glass John4:18
4."Who's Taking You Home"
  • Guetta
  • Tuinfort
3:49
5."Time of Our Lives" (with Pitbull)
3:49
6."Coming with You"
Stargate4:20
7."Good Morning"
Taylor3:19
8."Make It Easy"
  • Smith
  • Camper, Jr.
Camper, Jr.3:37
9."Money Can't Buy" (featuring Jeezy)
4:22
10."Religious"
3:49
11."She Knows" (featuring Juicy J)
  • Dr. Luke
  • Cirkut
  • Wilson[b]
3:34
12."She Said I'm Hood Tho" (featuring Candice[17])
  • Smith
  • Taylor
  • Philip Eugene Perry
  • Taylor
  • Wilson[b]
4:05
13."Story Time"
  • Smith
  • Taylor
Taylor3:15
14."Congratulations"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
  • Brandon Hodge
Wilson4:32
Total length:53:50
Non-Fiction — International standard version[18]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Run" (featuring Schoolboy Q)
 3:07
2."Integrity" (featuring Charisse Mills)
  • Smith
  • Camper, Jr.
 3:54
3."One More" (featuring T.I.)
 4:18
4."Who's Taking You Home"
  • Guetta
  • Tuinfort
3:49
5."Time of Our Lives" (with Pitbull)
3:49
6."Coming with You"
4:20
7."Good Morning"
 3:19
8."Money Can't Buy" (featuring Jeezy)
  • Smith
  • Montay Humphrey
  • Justin Johnson
  • Korey Roberson
  • Dennis Martin
  • Jesse "Corparal" Wilson
  • Jay Wayne Jenkins
  • Tony Hester
  • William DeVaughn
  • Montay Humphrey
  • Jesse "Corparal" Wilson
4:22
9."Religious"
3:49
10."She Knows" (featuring Juicy J)
  • Dr. Luke
  • Cirkut
3:34
11."Story Time"
  • Smith
  • Taylor
 3:15
12."Ballerina"
4:14
Total length:45:50
Non-Fiction — North American deluxe version[19]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Non-Fiction (Intro)"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
  • Wilson
  • The Kaliphat
1:27
2."Everybody Loves / The Def of You (Interlude)"
  • Smith
  • Camper, Jr.
  • Camper, Jr.
3:19
3."Run (featuring Schoolboy Q) / An Island (Interlude)"
Key Wane3:36
4."Integrity" (featuring Charisse Mills)
  • Smith
  • Camper, Jr.
Camper, Jr.3:54
5."One More" (featuring T.I.)
  • Smith
  • Glass
  • Harris, Jr.
Glass John4:18
6."Time of Our Lives" (with Pitbull)
  • Smith
  • Pérez
  • Gottwald
  • Taft
  • Walter
  • Burna
  • Dr. Luke
  • Cirkut
  • Lifted
3:49
7."Who's Taking You Home"
  • Smith
  • Guetta
  • Tuinfort
  • Guetta
  • Tuinfort
3:48
8."Coming with You"
  • Smith
  • Eriksen
  • Hermansen
Stargate4:19
9."Let You What..." (interlude)SmithSmith0:42
10."Take You There"
  • Smith
  • Camper, Jr.
3:54
11."Good Morning / Gon' Ride (Interlude)"
  • Smith
  • Taylor
Taylor3:39
12."Make It Easy"
  • Smith
  • Camper, Jr.
Camper, Jr.3:37
13."Money Can't Buy" (featuring Jeezy)
  • Smith
  • Humphrey
  • Johnson
  • Roberson
  • Martin
  • Wilson
  • Jenkins
  • Hester
  • DeVaughn
4:22
14."Religious / Rachet Wit Yo Friends (Interlude)"
  • Smith
  • Crump
  • Dickerson
  • Banner
  • Mono/Poly[c]
4:03
15."She Knows" (featuring Juicy J)
  • Smith
  • Houston
  • Gottwald
  • Walter
  • Dr. Luke
  • Cirkut
  • Wilson[b]
3:34
16."She Said I'm Hood Tho" (featuring Candice[17])
  • Smith
  • Taylor
  • Perry
  • Taylor
  • Wilson[b]
4:05
17."Story Time"
  • Smith
  • Taylor
Taylor3:12
18."Why"
  • Smith
  • Stacey "S.O.S." Owens
  • Erik Norwood
  • Owens
  • Wilson[b]
2:36
19."Congratulations"
  • Smith
  • Wilson
  • Hodge
Wilson4:31
20."Come Over" (Bonus track)
 4:16
21."Ballerina" (Bonus track)
 4:14
Total length:75:17
Non-Fiction — International deluxe version (bonus tracks) / Target exclusive tracks[20][21]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
20."Worth It"
  • Wilson
  • Thompson[a]
  • Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E.[a]
3:55
21."Body on You"
  • Smith
  • Camper, Jr.
  • Camper, Jr.
  • Wilson[b]
3:53
Total length:74:35
Notes

Charts

References

  1. ^ a b c Cowie, Del F. (January 27, 2015). "Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  2. ^ "Going For Adds™ :: Rhythmic". ®R&R. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  3. ^ "FMQB". Archived from the original on Jun 9, 2017.
  4. ^ "Music – Who's Taking You Home – Single by Ne-Yo". iTunes.
  5. ^ "Music – Religious – Single by Ne-Yo". iTunes.
  6. ^ a b c "Reviews for Non-Fiction by Ne-Yo". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Non-Fiction – Ne-Yo". AllMusic. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  8. ^ Charity, Justin (January 27, 2015). "Review: Ne-Yo's "Non-Fiction" Is Insufferable". Complex. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  9. ^ Mokoena, Tshepo (February 11, 2015). "Ne-Yo: Non-Fiction review – flatly uninventive". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  10. ^ "Ne-Yo". Pitchfork.
  11. ^ a b Arnold, Chuck (January 27, 2015). "Ne-Yo Non-Fiction Album Review". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  12. ^ Mac, Sam C. (January 27, 2015). "Ne-Yo: Non-Fiction – Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Devin (Feb 4, 2015). "Ne-Yo Earns Top 5 Debut with 'Non-Fiction'". Rap-Up.
  14. ^ Rose Lilah (March 15, 2015). "Charts Don't Lie: March 15". Hot New Hop Hop.
  15. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  16. ^ "Music – Non-Fiction by Ne-Yo". iTunes. 20 January 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Encarte: Ne-Yo - Non-Fiction (Deluxe Edition)".
  18. ^ "iTunes – Music – Non-Fiction by Ne-Yo". iTunes. 16 February 2015.
  19. ^ "iTunes – Music – Non-Fiction (Deluxe Version) by Ne-Yo". iTunes. 20 January 2015.
  20. ^ "iTunes – Music – Non-Fiction (Deluxe) by Ne-Yo". iTunes. 16 February 2015.
  21. ^ "Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction (Deluxe Edition) – Target Ex...: Target". Target.
  22. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  23. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  24. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  25. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  26. ^ "Lescharts.com – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  27. ^ "Officialcharts.de – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  28. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 8, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA.
  29. ^ "ノン・フィクション" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  30. ^ "Charts.nz – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  32. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  33. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  36. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  37. ^ "Billboard 200 – Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  38. ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  39. ^ "Billboard R&B Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
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