Posted by | Ray Cornelius
If you want to get on Ne-Yo’s bad side, try telling the singer-songwriter what to do! Even a mere suggestion to the father of two might cause him to look at you with the “side eye.”
According to an interview he recently did with The Hollywood Reporter, Shaffer Smith better known as Ne-Yo confesses to having ‘extreme issues with authority’ but says he is a work in progress.
“I have an extreme issue with authority, I do not like being told what to do. I do not like being suggested what to do, to the point where I always take it as somebody’s trying to tell me what to do, even if that’s not the case. It’s something that I’m working on. My patience is a little short, I like what I like when I like it, and I want what I want, when I want it. Everybody is a work in progress, and I’m no exception.”
The singer, whose been currently promoting his R&B-Pop album R.E.D, also admits that he prefers writing for others versus people writing for him. He says his songs are always personal and it’s hard for someone to write about his experiences.
“In regards to writing for myself, I always feel like nobody’s gonna give me, better than me! That’s not to say that there aren’t a bunch of incredibly talented songwriters out there, who I would have no problem collaborating with, but my songs are always very personal. I write from personal experience, about the things that have happened to me personally. So how are you as a person who didn’t experience it with me, gonna write it for me? It’s never made sense to me.”
Click here to read Ne-Yo’s full interview. The rising actor goes on to discuss his new position as Motown Senior VP of AR, what it was like working with Tim McGraw and why he wants his fans to embrace all of his varied styles of music not just his R&B songs.