Ne-Yo brings back 2000s nostalgia

Shaffer Chimere Smith, the American singer better known as Ne-Yo, brought the 2000s to The One stage at The Town this Thursday (07), with his characteristic R&B-pop. This is not the first time that Ne-Yo has set foot in Brazil, since the singer's first visit to the country took place in 2010, when he toured São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte.

2000s Landing

Ne-Yo's entrance is met with euphoria from the audience, when he appears on stage holding out the Brazilian flag and opens the show with the song ''Closer'', straight from the year 2008. Ne-Yo is dressed just like he usually does in his music videos, in a black and white formal look, the traditional black hat and glasses.

_{Ne-Yo's entrance with the song ''Closer''. (Reproduction/Instagram @eonlinebrasil)}

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Passing on the nostalgic vibe to the audience, the singer gets synchronized applause from the fans. Soon after, referencing the heartbeat, he sings the timeless ''Because Of You''. To the sound of the song, Ne-Yo shows all his stage presence dancing and singing all over the stage. The dancers complement the performance, using the same hat as the artist. Ne-Yo, in the middle of all the choreography, bet on the good moonwalk (Michael Jackson's little step backwards) and head games.

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The presence of Ne-Yo's greatest hits

Ne-Yo drove the audience wild by singing the first of his biggest hits, ''Miss Independent''. Then, during the show, the trip back in time had no pause, as he simply performed other biggest anthems of his career: ''So Sick'' , ''Mad'', ''Let Me Love You'' and ''Play Hard''. In the introduction of ''So Sick'', Ne-Yo begins by saying that the song is like a trip back in time, since according to him it brings back memories not only from high school but also from the first kiss. He then asks the audience to sing along if they know the lyrics. With that, taking the request seriously, the fans join in with Ne-Yo in chorus, showing that they really did their homework. The singer also asks them to turn on their cell phone flashlights, which creates a beautiful sea of ​​lights at the Interlagos Racetrack.

Check it out by clicking on the video below:

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_{Ne-Yo sings ''So Sick''. (Reproduction/Twitter: @rapworldbr)}

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After the song, the euphoric fans scream for him, and he blows a kiss to the audience, proving once again his love for Brazil. During the emotional and melancholic ''MAD'', which was on the setlist, the racetrack has a spectacular sea of ​​lights. In this one, Ne-Yo turns the microphone to the audience countless times, since they knew the complete lyrics and sang as if there was no tomorrow.

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Ne-Yo invites fans to the stage

After the calmer songs he says: ''If you guys feel like dancing….'' and then it begins ''Push Back''. In this part of the show, the dancers return with an infectious performance. At one point, Ne-Yo decides to surprise everyone and says he needs the help of three women on stage. So, one of the fans, when she goes up, has a special interaction from Ne-Yo, who dances behind her and even puts his hand on her waist. With the decision of the winner of the dance battle proposed by Ne-Yo during the song, he asks the audience to show love for the girls and applaud them.

Check it out by clicking on the video below:

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_{Ne-Yo invites fans to dance to ''Push Back''. (Reproduction/Twitter @weinthecrowd)}

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Most energetic points of the show

Asking if the crowd is ready, Ne-Yo takes the infectious hit ''Let Me Love You'' to the stage at The Town. Showing once again his affection for the audience, he makes half a heart with his hands. In the song ''Nobody'', the audience shouts for Ne-Yo, who then smiles. It becomes impossible to count on one's fingers how many times this happens, since the fans were excited at all times and chanted the artist's name, also showing t-shirts printed with his face.

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The party brings an even more lively energy to the sound of ''One In A Million''. Ne-Yo's hat becomes a key piece, complementing the artist's performance. In addition, it is possible to say that the song is one of the ones in which he bet the most on the steps.

Check it out by clicking on the video below:

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_{''One In a Million'', by Ne-Yo. (Reproduction/Twitter @multishow)}

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Then, the packed audience starts shouting for NE-YO, showing that he is one of the idols who has left the biggest mark on generations and is part of the memory of Brazilians. Bringing a bit of black music, Ne-Yo sings ''U 2 LUV''. Performing alone on stage, he relies on melisma and moves through all the spaces.

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Beyoncé and Rihanna on The One stage

The adjective ''multifaceted'' (as previously mentioned) applies perfectly to NeYo as we reveal that he is one of the great composers and producers of two very well-known songs: ''Take A Bow'' and Irreplaceable'', respectively by pop divas Rihanna and Beyoncé. Before surprising the audience and playing the song ''Take a Bow'' by Rihanna, he says: ''Does anyone know this song here??'' and then turns the microphone to the audience, who become a separate spectacle as they know the lyrics by heart. After Rihanna's song, Ne-Yo again asks if they can sing and then plays the nostalgic ''Irreplaceable'' by Beyoncé, giving the audience a triple immersion into the 2000s.

Check it out by clicking on the video below:

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_{Ne-Yo plays Rihanna's ''Take a Bow''. (Reproduction/Twitter @multishow)}

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Closing of the concert

Returning to the setlist, Ne-Yo sings ''Let's Go'' and gets the audience up, who start jumping. Later, in a transition to a more electronic sound, it gives way to ''Play Hard'' and makes a quick transition to then sing the iconic ''Give Me Everything'', making the audience jump excitedly. The show ends with a look at 2014, to the sound of one of Ne-Yo and rapper Pitbull's greatest anthems, the song ''Time Of Our Lives''. Later, in a farewell mood, the singer asks if his fans had fun and asks the audience to applaud his dancers and band, holding hands with them and saying thank you.

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Check it out by clicking on the video below:

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_{Ne-Yo closes show with ''Time Of Our Lives''. (Reproduction/Twitter @tracklist)}

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Ne-Yo declares his love for his fans once again, one of the thousands of times he has done so, and then he waves a heart with his hands around the racetrack, climbing the stairs and saying goodbye. With the show, Ne-Yo proved, based on the euphoria of his fans, that he was and is one of the greatest icons of the 2000s, with songs that will never be forgotten no matter how much time passes.

Featured photo: Ne-Yo on The One stage. Reproduction/Instagram @thetownfestival

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