Non-Fiction (Ne-Yo album)

Non-Fiction is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Ne-Yo. The album was released on January 27, 2015, by Motown Records, serving as the follow-up to his fifth album R.E.D. (2012). The album was preceded by two singles: "Money Can't Buy" featuring Jeezy and "She Knows" featuring Juicy J.

Non-Fiction
Studio album by Ne-Yo
Released	January 27, 2015 (2015-01-27)
Genre	R&B[1]
Length	66:47
Label	Compound Motown
Producer	StarGate Dr. Luke Cirkut David Banner Lifted Montay Humphrey Jesse "Corparal" Wilson
Ne-Yo chronology
R.E.D. (2012) Non-Fiction (2015) Good Man (2018)
Singles from Non-Fiction
"Money Can't Buy" Released: May 29, 2014 "She Knows" Released: September 16, 2014 "Time of Our Lives" Released: November 17, 2014 "Coming with You" Released: February 6, 2015

Upon its release, the album was met with mixed reviews from music critics. The album reached number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week, making it the third album to miss the pinnacle of the chart since Libra Scale (2010) and also becoming the second male R&B artist to have six consecutive top 10 albums following Chris Brown in 2014.

Singles

"Money Can't Buy" featuring Jeezy was released via digital download on May 29, 2014, as the first single from Non-Fiction in North America; it was later sent to US urban contemporary radio on June 3, 2014. The song peaked at number 17 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, a listing of the top twenty-five songs that have yet to enter the main Hot 100, while charting at number 41 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

"She Knows" featuring Juicy J was released via digital download on September 16, 2014, as the album's lead single (second overall) in North America; it was sent to US urban contemporary, rhythmic, and contemporary hit radio. The single reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while charting at number six on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number two on the US Rhythmic Songs chart, and number 19 on the US Pop Songs chart.

"Time of Our Lives" with Pitbull was released via digital download on November 17, 2014, as the fifth single from Pitbull's album, Globalization, while also appearing on Non-Fiction; it was sent to US rhythmic radio on December 12, 2014. It became the best-performing release from Non-Fiction, peaking at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number one on the US Rhythmic Songs chart and at number four on the US Pop Songs chart. The song performed moderately in international markets, peaking within the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand, while charting within the lower regions of charts in Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Its music video was released on December 25, 2014.

"Coming with You" was sent to mainstream radio stations in the United States on April 14, 2015, as the fourth official single after being issued as the first international single in February.^[2][3]

Promotional singles

In promotion for the album's release, several songs were released via iTunes Store as promotional singles in the weeks leading up to the album's release. "Coming with You" was released as the first on January 5, 2015. "Religious" and "Who's Taking You Home" followed on January 13, 2015, with "Religious" serving as the second international promotional single and the latter as the second in North America.^[4][5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	60/100[6]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
Complex	[8]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[6]
Exclaim!	7/10[1]
The Guardian	[9]
Pitchfork	6.4/10[10]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Slant Magazine	[12]

The album was met with mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a "weighted average" rating out of 100 from selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", based on 12 reviews.^[6] Andy Kellman of AllMusic highlighted the tracks "She Knows" and "One More" for being "tough but finely crafted slow jams" and the more uptempo "Coming with You" for being "a dazzling Stargate production like no other that contains a hip-house core and soars", saying that Non-Fiction "contains more standouts than any Ne-Yo album since Because of You."^[7] In a review for Exclaim!, Del F. Cowie wrote that the record was "indicative of an underlying need to placate his various audiences," further explaining that Non-Fiction "delivers an uneven synthesis of the sounds Ne-Yo had already been exploring rather than the promised straight up R&B record."^[1] Rolling Stone's Chuck Arnold felt that Ne-Yo had trouble keeping up the overall concept of the record and said the tracks influenced by Michael Jackson ("Coming with You") and Marvin Gaye ("Integrity") are where he performs better than the ones with more modern leanings.^[11]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week.^[13] The album opened at the top spot of the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[13] As of March 2015^[update], the album sold over 108,000 in the US.^[14]

In 2015, Non-Fiction was ranked as the 140th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.^[15]

Track listing

Non-Fiction — North American standard version^[16]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Run" (featuring Schoolboy Q)	Shaffer Smith Quincy Hanley Dwane Weir II Dan Croll Joe Wills	Key Wane	3:07
2.	"Integrity" (featuring Charisse Mills)	Smith Darhyl "DJ" Camper, Jr.	Camper, Jr.	3:54
3.	"One More" (featuring T.I.)	Smith John Glass Clifford Harris, Jr.	Glass John	4:18
4.	"Who's Taking You Home"	Smith David Guetta Giorgio Tuinfort	Guetta Tuinfort	3:49
5.	"Time of Our Lives" (with Pitbull)	Smith Armando C. Pérez Lukasz Gottwald Stephan Taft Henry Walter Al Burna	Dr. Luke Cirkut Lifted	3:49
6.	"Coming with You"	Smith Mikkel S. Eriksen Tor Erik Hermansen	Stargate	4:20
7.	"Good Morning"	Smith Shea Taylor	Taylor	3:19
8.	"Make It Easy"	Smith Camper, Jr.	Camper, Jr.	3:37
9.	"Money Can't Buy" (featuring Jeezy)	Smith Montay Humphrey Justin Johnson Korey Roberson Dennis Martin Jesse "Corparal" Wilson Jay Jenkins Tony Hester William DeVaughn	DJ Montay Jaytez[c] D Lumar[c] Wilson[a]	4:22
10.	"Religious"	Smith Lavell Crump Charles Dickerson	David Banner Mono/Poly[c]	3:49
11.	"She Knows" (featuring Juicy J)	Smith Jordan Houston Gottwald Walter	Dr. Luke Cirkut Wilson[b]	3:34
12.	"She Said I'm Hood Tho" (featuring Candice[17])	Smith Taylor Philip Eugene Perry	Taylor Wilson[b]	4:05
13.	"Story Time"	Smith Taylor	Taylor	3:15
14.	"Congratulations"	Smith Wilson Brandon Hodge	Wilson	4:32
Total length:				53:50

Non-Fiction — International standard version^[18]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Run" (featuring Schoolboy Q)	Shaffer Smith Quincy Hanley Dwane Weir II		3:07
2.	"Integrity" (featuring Charisse Mills)	Smith Camper, Jr.		3:54
3.	"One More" (featuring T.I.)	Smith Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr.		4:18
4.	"Who's Taking You Home"	Smith David Guetta Giorgio Tuinfort	Guetta Tuinfort	3:49
5.	"Time of Our Lives" (with Pitbull)	Smith Armando C. Pérez Lukasz Gottwald Henry Walter Stephan Taft	Dr. Luke Cirkut Lifted	3:49
6.	"Coming with You"	Smith Mikkel S. Eriksen Tor Erik Hermansen	Stargate	4:20
7.	"Good Morning"	Smith Shea Taylor		3:19
8.	"Money Can't Buy" (featuring Jeezy)	Smith Montay Humphrey Justin Johnson Korey Roberson Dennis Martin Jesse "Corparal" Wilson Jay Wayne Jenkins Tony Hester William DeVaughn	Montay Humphrey Jesse "Corparal" Wilson	4:22
9.	"Religious"	Smith Lavell Crump Charles Dickerson	David Banner Mono/Poly[c]	3:49
10.	"She Knows" (featuring Juicy J)	Smith Jordan Houston Gottwald Walter	Dr. Luke Cirkut	3:34
11.	"Story Time"	Smith Taylor		3:15
12.	"Ballerina"	Smith Stephan Moccio J. Wizzard Wilson	Stephan Moccio J. Wizzard Wilson	4:14
Total length:				45:50

Non-Fiction — North American deluxe version^[19]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Non-Fiction (Intro)"	Smith Wilson	Wilson The Kaliphat	1:27
2.	"Everybody Loves / The Def of You (Interlude)"	Smith Camper, Jr.	Camper, Jr.	3:19
3.	"Run (featuring Schoolboy Q) / An Island (Interlude)"	Smith Hanley Weir II Dan Croll Joe Wills	Key Wane	3:36
4.	"Integrity" (featuring Charisse Mills)	Smith Camper, Jr.	Camper, Jr.	3:54
5.	"One More" (featuring T.I.)	Smith Glass Harris, Jr.	Glass John	4:18
6.	"Time of Our Lives" (with Pitbull)	Smith Pérez Gottwald Taft Walter Burna	Dr. Luke Cirkut Lifted	3:49
7.	"Who's Taking You Home"	Smith Guetta Tuinfort	Guetta Tuinfort	3:48
8.	"Coming with You"	Smith Eriksen Hermansen	Stargate	4:19
9.	"Let You What..." (interlude)	Smith	Smith	0:42
10.	"Take You There"	Smith Camper, Jr.	Camper, Jr. Wilson[a][b]	3:54
11.	"Good Morning / Gon' Ride (Interlude)"	Smith Taylor	Taylor	3:39
12.	"Make It Easy"	Smith Camper, Jr.	Camper, Jr.	3:37
13.	"Money Can't Buy" (featuring Jeezy)	Smith Humphrey Johnson Roberson Martin Wilson Jenkins Hester DeVaughn	DJ Montay Jaytez[c] D Lumar[c] Wilson[a]	4:22
14.	"Religious / Rachet Wit Yo Friends (Interlude)"	Smith Crump Dickerson	Banner Mono/Poly[c]	4:03
15.	"She Knows" (featuring Juicy J)	Smith Houston Gottwald Walter	Dr. Luke Cirkut Wilson[b]	3:34
16.	"She Said I'm Hood Tho" (featuring Candice[17])	Smith Taylor Perry	Taylor Wilson[b]	4:05
17.	"Story Time"	Smith Taylor	Taylor	3:12
18.	"Why"	Smith Stacey "S.O.S." Owens Erik Norwood	Owens Wilson[b]	2:36
19.	"Congratulations"	Smith Wilson Hodge	Wilson	4:31
20.	"Come Over" (Bonus track)	Smith Wilson Jerry Duplessis		4:16
21.	"Ballerina" (Bonus track)	Smith J. Wizzard Wilson Stephan Moccio		4:14
Total length:				75:17

Non-Fiction — International deluxe version (bonus tracks) / Target exclusive tracks^[20][21]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
20.	"Worth It"	Smith Wilson Chucky Thompson Carlton Mays, Jr. Erik Hammer	Wilson Thompson[a] Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E.[a]	3:55
21.	"Body on You"	Smith Camper, Jr.	Camper, Jr. Wilson[b]	3:53
Total length:				74:35

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies a vocal producer
• ^{^[c]} signifies a co-producer
• "Run" contains interpolations from "From Nowhere" as performed by Dan Croll, and written by Croll and Joe Wills.
• "Money Can't Buy" contains elements from "Nothing Can Stop Me" as performed by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., and written by Tony Hester. Contains interpolations from "Be Thankful for What You Got" as written and performed by William DeVaughn.
• "She Said I'm Hood Tho" samples a portion of "Do I Stand a Chance" as performed by The Montclairs, and written by Philip Eugene Perry.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2015) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[22] 25 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] 56 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[24] 134 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25] 44 French Albums (SNEP)[26] 147 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 75 Irish Albums (IRMA)[28] 78 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[29] 25 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 29 Scottish Albums (OCC)[31] 38 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 59 UK Albums (OCC)[33] 16 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[34] 2 US Billboard 200[35] 5 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[36] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2015) Peak position US Billboard 200[37] 140 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] 23 US R&B Albums (Billboard)[39] 9

References

1. Cowie, Del F. (January 27, 2015). "Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
2. "Going For Adds™ :: Rhythmic". ®R&R. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
3. "FMQB". Archived from the original on Jun 9, 2017.
4. "Music – Who's Taking You Home – Single by Ne-Yo". iTunes.
5. "Music – Religious – Single by Ne-Yo". iTunes.
6. "Reviews for Non-Fiction by Ne-Yo". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
7. Kellman, Andy. "Non-Fiction – Ne-Yo". AllMusic. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
8. Charity, Justin (January 27, 2015). "Review: Ne-Yo's "Non-Fiction" Is Insufferable". Complex. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
9. Mokoena, Tshepo (February 11, 2015). "Ne-Yo: Non-Fiction review – flatly uninventive". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
10. "Ne-Yo". Pitchfork.
11. Arnold, Chuck (January 27, 2015). "Ne-Yo Non-Fiction Album Review". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
12. Mac, Sam C. (January 27, 2015). "Ne-Yo: Non-Fiction – Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
13. Devin (Feb 4, 2015). "Ne-Yo Earns Top 5 Debut with 'Non-Fiction'". Rap-Up.
14. Rose Lilah (March 15, 2015). "Charts Don't Lie: March 15". Hot New Hop Hop.
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18. "iTunes – Music – Non-Fiction by Ne-Yo". iTunes. 16 February 2015.
19. "iTunes – Music – Non-Fiction (Deluxe Version) by Ne-Yo". iTunes. 20 January 2015.
20. "iTunes – Music – Non-Fiction (Deluxe) by Ne-Yo". iTunes. 16 February 2015.
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22. "Australiancharts.com – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
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27. "Officialcharts.de – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
28. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 8, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA.
29. "ノン・フィクション" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
30. "Charts.nz – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
31. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
32. "Swisscharts.com – Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
33. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
34. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
35. "Ne-Yo Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
36. "Ne-Yo Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
37. "Billboard 200 – Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
38. "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
39. "Billboard R&B Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.