If you have ever sung along to Beyoncé's Irreplaceable, Rihanna's Take a Bow or Mario's Let Me Love You, chances are you know Ne-Yo's songwriting without even realising it.
Long before he became the smooth voiced RnB star behind hits such as So Sick, Miss Independent and Closer, Ne-Yo was making a name for himself with a pen.
The singer, whose real name is Shaffer Smith, began his career as a songwriter and broke into the mainstream after writing Mario's 2004 hit Let Me Love You.
The song reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped pave the way for Ne-Yo's own recording career and that was only the beginning.
Over the years, Ne-Yo has written or co-written songs for some of the biggest names in RnB and pop, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson and Keri Hilson.
Spotify's songwriter profile currently credits him on more than 300 songs.
As he prepares to return to Nairobi for One Night Only: Brunch Edition on October 20, here are some of the songs that prove Ne-Yo's talent goes far beyond his own microphone.
Mario – Let Me Love You
This is where the Ne-Yo songwriting story really took off.
Released in 2004, Let Me Love You became Mario's signature hit and spent nine weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
For Ne-Yo, it was the breakthrough that changed everything.
The success of the song helped him secure a recording deal with Def Jam and eventually launch his own career as an artist.
While you may know Ne-Yo for So Sick, you can trace his journey back to a song he wrote for someone else.
Beyoncé – Irreplaceable
"To the left, to the left..."
Few breakup songs have been as instantly recognisable as Beyoncé's Irreplaceable.
Ne-Yo co-wrote the 2006 hit but there is an interesting twist, he originally wrote it with the intention of recording it himself.
He later explained that he felt the song worked better from a woman's perspective.
It eventually landed with Beyoncé and became one of her biggest hits.
In other words, one of Beyoncé's biggest songs could have sounded very different.
Rihanna – Unfaithful
Before Rihanna became the global superstar she is today, she was also working with Ne-Yo.
He co-wrote Unfaithful, the emotional 2006 ballad that became one of the standout songs on Rihanna's A Girl Like Me album.
The song reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and showed another side of Ne-Yo's songwriting: emotional, dramatic and built around a story.
Rihanna – Take a Bow
Ne-Yo and Rihanna would team up again for Take a Bow.
Released in 2008, the song became another major Rihanna hit and topped the Billboard Hot 100.
It is also one of the songs that helped establish Ne-Yo as one of the industry's sought after writers, even as his own career was taking off.
Jennifer Hudson – Spotlight
Jennifer Hudson's powerful vocals found the perfect match in Spotlight.
Ne-Yo co-wrote the 2008 song for Hudson, working with Norwegian production team Stargate.
The track became a major part of Hudson's debut album and earned Grammy nominations, adding another major name to Ne-Yo's songwriting CV.
Keri Hilson – Pretty Girl Rock
If you have ever heard Pretty Girl Rock and thought, this song is pure confidence, that is partly Ne-Yo's doing.
He co-wrote the 2010 Keri Hilson hit, which became one of the most recognisable songs from her No Boys Allowed album.
It also showed that Ne-Yo could move comfortably from emotional R&B ballads to an upbeat confidence anthem.
Paula DeAnda – Walk Away (Remember Me)
Ne-Yo's songwriting catalogue also includes Paula DeAnda's Walk Away (Remember Me).
The 2006 track, which featured The D.E.Y., became DeAnda's first Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ne-Yo co-wrote the song with a team that included Christina Milian, adding another early success to his growing catalogue.
Lindsay Lohan – Bossy
Ne-Yo's songwriting credits do not stop at traditional R&B.
He co-wrote and produced Lindsay Lohan's Bossy, released in 2008.
The song went on to top the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, showing just how far Ne-Yo's work behind the scenes stretched beyond the R&B world.
En Vogue – Rocket
Ne-Yo also worked with RnB veterans En Vogue on Rocket.
Released in 2017, the song became a notable return to the charts for the group, reaching the Top 10 on Billboard's Adult RnB Songs chart.
It was another reminder that Ne-Yo's songwriting career has stretched across different generations of RnB.
Mary J. Blige – Work in Progress (Growing Pains)
Ne-Yo worked on Work in Progress (Growing Pains) from Blige's 2007 album Growing Pains, adding another RnB heavyweight to his list of collaborations.
These are only a fraction of his songwriting credits as his catalogue also includes work connected to artists such as Janet Jackson, Leona Lewis, Chrisette Michele and others
Now Ne-Yo is bringing the hits to Nairobi
For Kenyan fans, the songwriting credits add another layer to Ne-Yo's upcoming Nairobi show.
The Grammy-winning singer will headline One Night Only: Brunch Edition at Ulinzi Sports Stadium on October 20, with UK showband Sol and The Gang also joining the lineup.
The event will combine live performances with brunch and a daytime party experience.
Ne-Yo is expected to perform some of his own biggest songs, including So Sick, Miss Independent and Closer, giving fans a chance to hear the voice behind the hits and perhaps, remember just how many songs he helped create for other artists.
Regular Gold tickets are going for Sh15,000, Gold Couple tickets at Sh20,000 and Platinum at Sh40,000.
Tickets for the One Night Only: Brunch Edition are available through https://cms.ticketyetu.com/r/Zft
