Music : Ne-Yo "Closer"

Review Ne-Yo: 'Closer'

Released on Monday, June 23 2008

By Nick Levine, Music Editor

Ne-Yo's career to date has featured two main strands: one, singing well-crafted but slightly drippy R&B ballads ('So Sick', 'Because Of You'); two, writing well-crafted but slightly drippy R&B ballads for other people (Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable', Rihanna's 'Hate That I Love You'). Now, just as he was in danger of becoming a little boring, he's decided to pop on his dancing shoes.

With its throbbing house beats and hypnotic, synthy choruses, 'Closer' feels like a cousin to Rihanna's 'Don't Stop The Music' - also produced by Norwegian hitmakers Stargate. Ne-Yo sounds reinvogorated by the change of tempo, whispering seductively, "whoo!"ing like Michael Jackson and wrapping his creamy vocals around a succession of lusty lyrics. The result? A sleek exercise in urban disco that makes recent singles from Usher and Nelly seem rather pedestrian.







NeYo - Closer Lyrics

Closer x 4

Verse 1:
Turn the lights off in this place
And she shines just like a star
And I swear I know her face
I just don’t know who you are
Turn the music up in here
I still hear her loud and clear
Like she’s right there in my ear
Telling me
That she wants to own me
To control me
Come closer
Come closer

Chorus:
And I just can’t pull myself away
Under a spell i can’t break
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
And I just can’t bring myself away
But I don’t want to escape
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop

Verse 2:
I can feel her on my skin
I can taste her on my tongue
Shes the sweetest taste of sin
The more I get the more I want
She wants to own me
Come closer
She says “come closer”

Chorus:
And I just can’t pull myself away
Under a spell i can’t break
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
And I just can’t bring myself away
But I don’t want to escape
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop

(Come closer) x 7
I just can’t stop nooooo
I just can’t stop nooooo
I just can’t stop nooooo
I just can’t stop nooooo

Chorus:
And I just can’t pull myself away
Under a spell I can’t break
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
And I just can’t bring myself away
But I don’t want to escape
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop
I just can’t stop

And I just can’t pull myself away
Under a spell i can’t break
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop
I just cant stop