Ne-Yo Collaborates With NKOTB, Updates Big Red Jingle

Ne-Yo unveiled a pair of new songs yesterday, one with the New Kids on the Block and the other his theme for Wrigley's Big Red gum. Ne-Yo's hook-up with the NKOTB is a new single called "Single" and shockingly enough it's all about rolling stag. The song will be available on iTunes August 12th, and will be featured on NKOTB's upcoming album The Block, out September 2nd. The new record also features collaborations with New Edition and the Pussycat Dolls. As for Ne-Yo's Big Red jingle, the R&B singer took a different approach than Chris Brown. Rather than writing a hit song that doubles as a jingle (like Brown), Ne-Yo instead opted for a more straightforward approach, adding a backbeat and harmonies to the "Kiss a little longer" lyrics you've probably heard a million times. While it's an improvement over the original commercial, we don't think the 30-second tune will be breaking into the Hot 100 anytime soon.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

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