There's a difference between a ladies' man and a man who loves women, and Ne-Yo reps for the latter. The 28-year-old singer-songwriter says his latest collection of heartfelt love songs is a tribute to the Rat Pack's pressed-suit style, but it's actually a superb concept album about what a great boyfriend he can be — call it Songs in the Key of Nice. Having already penned lady-power hits for Beyoncé and Rihanna, he's the Gloria Steinem of R&B on "Miss Independent": "She move like a boss. . . . That's why I love her." Beyond its genuine lyrics, Gentleman also proves that Ne-Yo is a brilliant pop omnivore, gifted with a silky voice and an ability to pull everything from the Beatles to Stevie Wonder to clubland synths under his sonic umbrella. He plays quick beats off slow vocals on the Stargate-produced "Closer," deploys clarinet and harpsichord on the Seventies-pop "So You Can Cry" and pulls out tinkling piano for "Lie to Me," a real-talk meditation on unfaithfulness. The moody piano and chord progression recall Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River," but the lyrics have a great twist: This time, Ne-Yo's the one in tears.