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http://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/b7b76c2c6865d02620b55e43da37a5dbbc593459.jpg Libra Scale

Ne-Yo

Libra Scale

Island Def Jam
Rolling Stone: star rating
Community: star rating
5 4 0
November 22, 2010

Ne-Yo's latest is a concept album about crime-fighting "R&B superheroes," complete with a femme fatale and a thing called the Libra Scale — a device that measures the weights of money, power, fame and love. If you find that hard to follow, no matter: Just listen to the music. Ne-Yo has crafted an epic full of party songs, beatific ballads and throbbing spy-movie club music. It's lavish disco; the songs are cinematic in scope but have the unshakable hooks of great pop. If that formula sounds like a certain recently deceased R&B superhero — well, that's no coincidence. The real "concept" here is: Michael Jackson tribute album. And a damn good one.

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