Ne-Yo: Tiny Desk Concert

NPR Music
26 Apr 202423:14

Summary

TLDRThe video script captures a dynamic and emotional live performance by the artist Neo, who engages the audience with a mix of music and personal storytelling. The artist shares songs that reflect on love, addiction, heartbreak, and self-improvement. Highlights include a song about the struggle with love songs after a breakup, a dedication to an independent woman, and a new song titled 'Two Million Secrets,' where Neo confesses his mistakes and seeks redemption. The performance is supported by a talented band, with special shout-outs to the background singers and band members. The atmosphere is electric, filled with music, applause, and a sense of connection between the artist and the audience.

Takeaways

  • 🎵 The artist expresses a struggle with addiction and the conflict between fantasy and reality in their music.
  • 🎤 The lyrics convey a sense of self-awareness about having a problem and the difficulty in overcoming it.
  • 💔 The artist describes heartbreak and the pain of hearing a former lover's voice only through an answering machine.
  • 🚫 There's a strong message of moving on from a relationship and refusing to let love songs or memories bring them down.
  • 🎶 The performance includes a song that is very special to the artist, which may have introduced them to the audience.
  • 🎉 The artist appreciates the audience's support and interaction, encouraging them to sing along or simply listen.
  • 👏 Shout-outs are given to other artists like Rihanna, showing respect and admiration for their work.
  • 🤔 The song lyrics question why someone would stay in a hurtful relationship despite the evidence of deceit.
  • 💍 A message of offering love, loyalty, and protection is present, suggesting the artist's desire to be a better partner.
  • 🏠 The artist talks about the end of a relationship and the frustration of dealing with an ex-partner's belongings.
  • 📚 The song 'Two Million Secrets' is a confession about the artist's mistakes and the impact they've had on a relationship.
  • 👩‍💼 A dedication to independent women is made, highlighting the artist's admiration for women who are self-sufficient yet desire a partner.
  • 🎼 The artist introduces the band members, showing appreciation for their contributions to the performance.

Q & A

  • What is the theme of the song that the artist describes as 'very special' to them?

    -The song is about the artist's personal journey and struggle with addiction, reflecting on the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.

  • Why does the artist feel the need to change their answering machine message?

    -The artist wants to change the message because it still implies a relationship with a person who has left, and it's the only way they can still hear that person's voice.

  • What is the artist's emotional state regarding love songs after a breakup?

    -The artist is tired of love songs and being constantly reminded of their past relationship, leading to feelings of sadness and frustration.

  • How does the artist describe their feelings towards the woman who makes the hairs on the back of their neck stand up?

    -The artist is deeply attracted to her and feels a strong desire to cover her with love, indicating a powerful emotional and physical connection.

  • What is the message the artist is trying to convey in the song 'If I Was Your Man'?

    -The song expresses regret and a promise to be a better partner, emphasizing commitment, loyalty, and the desire to provide good love and protection.

  • What is the title of the new song the artist introduces towards the end of the script?

    -The title of the new song is 'Two Million Secrets', which is a confession about the artist's past mistakes and the consequences they face.

  • How does the artist express their remorse in 'Two Million Secrets'?

    -The artist admits to their wrongdoings, acknowledges the pain they've caused, and expresses genuine remorse through increased drinking and smoking as coping mechanisms.

  • What is the significance of the 'independent woman' in the artist's narrative?

    -The independent woman represents a figure of admiration and respect for the artist, symbolizing strength, self-sufficiency, and a desirable partner who is not overly reliant on others.

  • Why does the artist dedicate a song to the 'independent woman'?

    -The artist dedicates a song to the independent woman to celebrate her qualities of self-reliance and strength, which the artist finds attractive and inspiring.

  • What is the name of the band's newest member introduced by the artist?

    -The newest member of the band is named Madison, who plays the heart in the band's lineup.

  • How does the artist describe their relationship with the audience during the performance?

    -The artist expresses gratitude and a sense of connection with the audience, inviting them to sing along, listen, and share in the emotional journey of the songs.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Emotional Struggles and Addiction

The first paragraph introduces a song that reflects the artist's personal struggles with addiction and the blurred line between fantasy and reality. The lyrics express a deep desire and the internal conflict of knowing there's a problem but doubting the ability to quit. The artist also acknowledges the powerful influence of a loved one, who has become an 'addiction.' The paragraph concludes with an energetic bridge section that emphasizes the theme of being 'taken over' by the subject of the song.

05:00

🎵 Heartache and Moving On

The second paragraph delves into the feelings of heartache and the process of moving on from a relationship. The artist talks about being tired of love songs and the sadness they bring, expressing a desire to stop the cycle of crying over a lost love. There's a sense of empowerment in deciding to let go and no longer being held back by the past. The paragraph ends with a transition into a live performance setting, where the artist shares their journey through songwriting and invites the audience to engage with lesser-known songs.

10:02

🎤 Loyalty and the Quest for Love

The third paragraph is about the confusion and pain that comes from being in a one-sided relationship. The artist questions why someone would stay despite the clear signs of deceit and hurt. It's a plea for genuine love and treatment, offering a promise of commitment and care. The artist emphasizes the value of a partner who deserves better and offers a new start, advocating for a relationship built on trust, love, and protection.

15:04

🎵 Redemption and Acceptance

The fourth paragraph focuses on the theme of mistakes, redemption, and self-acceptance. It's a confessional song where the artist admits to their wrongdoings and the consequences they face as a result. The lyrics reveal a deep sense of regret and the impact of the artist's actions on their relationship. There's an acknowledgment of the hurt caused and a plea for understanding, despite the pain inflicted. The paragraph ends with a dedication to independent women, celebrating their strength and self-sufficiency.

20:05

🎼 Band Introduction and Closing Remarks

The final paragraph serves as a closing to the performance, where the artist introduces the band members one by one, showing appreciation for their contributions. There's a light-hearted moment where the artist jokingly refers to one of the band members as 'ham Hawks' before correcting himself. The artist expresses gratitude to the audience for their support and ends the performance on a positive note, highlighting the love for a strong, independent woman.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Addiction

Addiction is a condition where a person is compulsively engaged in a particular substance or behavior that is harmful to their physical or mental health. In the context of the video, it is used metaphorically to describe an intense emotional attachment or obsession with a romantic partner. The script includes the line 'baby you and become my addiction,' which illustrates the depth of the speaker's feelings and their struggle with the intensity of their emotions.

💡Fantasy vs. Reality

Fantasy vs. Reality refers to the contrast between what one imagines or desires and the actual circumstances of life. The video script touches on this concept with the line 'just got me stuck between my fantasy and what is real,' which suggests a conflict between the speaker's idealized vision of a situation and the true state of affairs, possibly in a relationship.

💡Self-awareness

Self-awareness is the conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires. The script indicates self-awareness when the speaker acknowledges 'I got a problem and I don't know what to do about it,' which shows an understanding of their own predicament and the complexity of their emotions.

💡Love Songs

Love songs are musical compositions that typically deal with love, romance, or heartbreak. In the script, the speaker expresses frustration with love songs, as indicated by 'I'm so sick of love songs so tired of tears,' suggesting that these songs remind them of their own emotional pain or past experiences.

💡Independence

Independence refers to the state of being self-reliant or not relying on others. The video celebrates the independent woman, as shown by the line 'hey, you it's something about just something, about the way she move I can't figure it out something, about she know the words hey it's something about kind of woman that want you but don't need you.' This highlights the admiration for a woman who is strong and self-sufficient.

💡Redemption

Redemption is the act of making up for past wrongdoings or mistakes. The concept is mentioned in the script with 'nobody is above mistakes nobody is above Redemption,' which implies the human capacity for change and the possibility of making amends for past actions.

💡Secrets

Secrets are things that are kept hidden or not shared with others. The phrase 'I kept two million secrets' from the script symbolizes the accumulation of hidden truths or lies that have the potential to damage relationships and cause personal distress.

💡Growth

Growth refers to the process of developing or becoming more mature. The video script mentions growth in the context of personal development, as seen in 'this song took a little bit of growth on my part, to even write,' which suggests a process of self-improvement and emotional maturation.

💡Heartbreak

Heartbreak describes the intense emotional distress caused by an unrequited love or the end of a relationship. The script alludes to heartbreak with lines like 'please just cut it out,' which could be a plea to stop the pain caused by a breakup or unfaithful partner.

💡Applause

Applause is the act of clapping hands to show appreciation or approval. In the script, 'Applause' appears to denote moments of audience reaction, indicating approval of the performance or specific moments within the video.

💡Dedication

Dedication is the act of committing something to a specific person or purpose. The script uses the term in a musical context, as in 'a dedication to my sexy love,' which suggests that the song is being presented as a tribute to a romantic partner, showcasing the depth of the speaker's feelings.

Highlights

The artist discusses the theme of addiction in their music, reflecting on the struggle between fantasy and reality.

They acknowledge having a problem and not knowing what to do about it, expressing self-doubt.

The lyrics convey the strong emotional connection and dependency that has developed in a relationship.

The artist shares their personal journey and growth, which has influenced their songwriting.

A song is described as being very special to the artist, possibly an early introduction to their work.

The artist talks about changing their answering machine message after a breakup, symbolizing a need to move on.

They express frustration with love songs and the sadness they bring after a relationship ends.

The lyrics describe the intense physical reaction the artist has to their love interest.

The artist sings about the desire to protect and provide for their partner, showcasing a caring side.

There is a focus on the theme of independence in relationships, particularly valuing a partner who is self-sufficient.

The artist discusses the pain of being hurt and the difficulty of knowing when to leave a relationship.

They make a plea to be given a chance to love and cherish their partner, promising to treat them well.

The artist shares a new song about owning up to one's mistakes and seeking redemption.

Lyrics reveal the artist's guilt and regret over their actions that have hurt a loved one.

The songwriting process is described as a form of confession, allowing the artist to express their inner turmoil.

The artist thanks the audience and introduces the band members, highlighting the collaborative nature of their performances.

A dedication is made to independent women, celebrating their strength and self-sufficiency.

Transcripts

00:00

let's get

00:01

[Music]

00:10

it

00:12

hey

00:15

hey yeah come on now hey let's

00:20

[Music]

00:22

go you but I can't I love the way it

00:26

feels just got me stuck between my

00:29

fantasy and what is real I need it when

00:32

I want it I want it when I don't tell

00:36

myself I'll stop every day knowing that

00:39

I want I got a problem and I don't know

00:42

what to do about it even if I did I

00:45

don't know if I will quit but I doubt it

00:49

I hey taken by the thought of

00:53

it hey said I know this much is true

00:58

baby you and become my

01:03

addiction I'm so strong I on you I can

01:07

barely

01:08

move but I like it said and it's all

01:12

because of you

01:15

all all be of

01:19

you and it's all be of

01:25

you come on never

01:33

enough take him to the bridge come

01:45

on R

01:50

down over you you

01:56

you you you you you you you

02:01

[Music]

02:07

you because to you Bab

02:12

[Music]

02:15

hey never

02:20

get this she's a sweet

02:25

[Music]

02:29

[Applause]

02:31

[Music]

02:33

yes

02:35

sir all right all right all right all

02:38

right

02:41

ah welcome to Tiny dusk

02:44

[Applause]

02:46

everybody so uh this next song is very

02:50

very special to

02:51

me uh this has been dub the song that

02:53

started at all this might have been some

02:55

of y'all's first introduction to me as

02:57

an

02:58

artist um

03:00

yeah

03:02

man I think uh I think it's pretty

03:05

self-explanatory I I don't think I got

03:06

to talk too much in regards to

03:10

[Music]

03:21

this let's go

03:25

[Music]

03:37

oh yeah yeah yeah

03:40

yeah I got to change my answering

03:44

machine now that I'm alone cuz right now

03:47

it says that we can't come to the phone

03:52

and I know it makes no sense cuz you

03:55

walked out the door but it's the only

03:58

way I hear your voice

04:00

[Music]

04:03

yeah it's been months for some reason I

04:07

just over said and I'm stronger than the

04:12

yeah enough is enough no more walking

04:15

around my head down I'm so over being

04:19

blue crying over you and I'm so sick of

04:23

love songs so tired of Tears so done

04:28

with wish you still said I'm so sick of

04:33

love songs so sad andow so why can I

04:38

turn off the

04:39

[Music]

04:42

radio leave me alone leave me

04:50

alone don't make me think about her

04:53

smile having my child I'm Letting

04:58

Go Turn

05:00

the r

05:05

CU

05:06

[Music]

05:11

tears

05:20

sick said I'm so sick

05:24

of so TI of Jes

05:28

[Music]

05:36

I'm I turn off the

05:39

[Music]

05:41

radio why can't I turn off the

05:45

[Music]

05:49

radio a dedication to my sexy

05:54

love so

05:57

sexy ooh

06:01

hey oh yeah let's go she makes the hairs

06:06

on the back of my next stand

06:09

up just one

06:12

touch and i e up like a V can't no when

06:17

cover her with my love baby girl you

06:20

make me

06:23

say said then I just can't think hey

06:27

anything else I'd rather do I hear you

06:31

sing sing my name the way you do we do

06:36

what we do the we

06:39

do baby girl you make me

06:42

sa let's go let's

06:46

gox the you do oh

06:51

baby me back to you oh

06:56

baby love to you

07:00

say baby girl you know you're

07:03

M oh baby what we do it make

07:08

us to keep until it goes back

07:13

down said I don't what I do if I would

07:17

lose your touch that's why I'm always

07:21

keeping you

07:23

around myx

07:29

think you do

07:31

baby rning back to you running back to

07:35

you I

07:40

love know

07:44

your she makes the hair on the back of

07:48

my neck stand up baby just one

08:02

thank

08:06

you

08:11

right

08:13

cab okay sweating like a ho in church

08:16

all right

08:18

um did it on Saturday asking for

08:20

forgiveness Sunday

08:22

okay all right all

08:24

right thank you thank you thank you

08:26

thank you

08:28

[Music]

08:30

so uh I've written a couple songs since

08:33

I've been doing this

08:34

thing uh some of them you may

08:37

know matter of fact I think I want to

08:40

jump into some of the ones that I've

08:41

written that you may or may not know if

08:43

you do know them please feel free to

08:44

sing along if not just sit back and

08:46

listen I'mma I'mma take some of the

08:48

heavy lifting off of myself and pass it

08:51

to some of these amazing background

08:52

singers over

08:54

here you ready one 2 3 Let's Go

08:59

[Music]

09:03

how about a round of appuse

09:06

hey

09:08

yeah stand

09:12

ination

09:15

wo yeah yeah yeah yeah come on y'all

09:21

let's go you look so dumb right now hey

09:27

hey standing outside my

09:32

house trying to

09:35

apologize you're so ugly when you cry

09:39

please just cut it

09:44

out don't tell me you're sorry cuz

09:47

you're

09:48

not BBE when I know you're only sorry

09:52

you

09:54

got well you put on qu a show

09:59

really had me

10:02

going to go curtain finally

10:06

closing that was quite a

10:09

show very

10:13

entertaining it's over now but it's over

10:18

now go on and

10:23

take go on and take

10:26

[Music]

10:32

hey thank you

10:34

[Music]

10:36

[Applause]

10:40

Pamela shout out to the incomparable

10:42

Rihanna wherever she is on the face of

10:43

the

10:45

plane all right let's get into another

10:47

one let's see how well y'all know y'all

10:48

Neo in here here we

10:50

go baby I just don't get it do you enjoy

10:55

being hurt I know you smell the perfume

10:59

to the makeup on shirt you don't believe

11:03

his stories now you know that there are

11:06

lies bad as you are you stick around and

11:10

I just don't know why If I Was Your Man

11:13

baby you never worry about what I do

11:17

I'll be coming home back to you every

11:20

night doing you right that type of woman

11:23

deserves good things F full of do hand

11:26

full of rings baby you're AAR I just

11:29

want to show you you are you should let

11:32

me love you let me be the one to give

11:37

you everything you want and need baby

11:42

good love and

11:43

prote make me your selection show you

11:48

the way love suppos to be baby you

11:52

should let

11:54

me you deserve girl do you deserve

12:00

should be together

12:04

baby me and you

12:09

what so can we make this thing us baby

12:13

you should let me love you let me be the

12:17

one to give you everything you want and

12:22

need good love and

12:25

prot make me your sele show you the way

12:30

love suppos to be b b let me love you

12:36

let baby let me be the one to

12:42

give everything you

12:49

[Music]

12:53

need baby you should let me love

12:57

you yeah yeah

12:59

[Music]

13:00

[Applause]

13:03

Mar got one more for you let's

13:08

go

13:09

[Music]

13:13

hey

13:17

heyne to the to the everything you in

13:21

the box to the in the closet that's my

13:24

stuff yes if I it then please don't

13:28

touch talking that mess that's fine but

13:31

could you walk and talk at the same time

13:33

man it's my name that's on that come up

13:37

your back while I call you a c standing

13:40

in the front yard telling me how I'm

13:42

such a fool talking about I'll never

13:45

ever find a man like you you got

13:49

[Applause]

13:50

[Music]

13:52

me must not know about me I can find

13:55

another you in a minute matter of fact

13:58

he'll me

13:59

in a

14:00

minute you me you know

14:06

me you f tomorrow don't you ever for a

14:11

second get to thinking you're in a place

14:17

[Applause]

14:22

[Music]

14:29

y'all show your love one more time for

14:33

Courtney and

14:36

Pamela and of course Brian

14:40

doing I call him them ham Hawks I'm

14:42

thinking I'm looking for another name I

14:43

call him the ham Hawks right now Neo and

14:46

the ham hock that's that's it'll

14:50

work all right all right all right um

14:53

this next song I want to do for y'all is

14:54

a is a new song it is uh this this song

14:59

took a little bit of growth on my part

15:01

to even write uh even more to sing uh

15:03

this song is basically about owning your

15:05

that's the best way I can put it uh

15:07

nobody is above mistakes nobody is above

15:09

Redemption and uh yeah you you you do

15:13

better and you keep pushing so uh

15:14

without further Ado ladies and gentlemen

15:15

this song is called two million

15:19

Secrets let's

15:21

[Music]

15:23

go this song is not a

15:27

song this song is a confession

15:31

have you

15:33

ever ever got

15:35

CAU talking blood red-handed damn I

15:39

ain't as smooth as I thought type

15:42

talking each and every single lie

15:44

everyone that you told played out on the

15:47

phone that she found in your back in a

15:50

couple of graphic

15:51

videos she saw it all she saw things she

15:56

can't un

15:57

see no

15:59

I could deny that it was me it was me so

16:05

now I'm drinking a little more frequent

16:09

smoking a little more

16:11

LEL I kept two million secrets she got

16:15

every reason to ha me cuz I played with

16:18

her

16:19

heart she got every reason to ha me and

16:23

it's tearing me up high cuz she got

16:26

every reason so now I'm drinking a

16:29

little more frequent I'm smoking a

16:32

little more

16:33

lately I kept 2 million secrets she got

16:37

every reason to hate me I don't blame

16:40

you for hating

16:42

me she got every reason to hate me I

16:45

don't blame you for

16:48

ha but how you going to act like I

16:51

wasn't someone you could run to someone

16:53

you could run to said all you had to do

16:56

was tell me what you wanted you know I

16:57

was going to come through

17:01

your

17:04

asz I had a c INR down to give me what I

17:08

couldn't get from you that ain't an

17:11

excuse I made a

17:13

promise and then I hurt you I'm really

17:17

sorry to be honest for once I know this

17:19

is difficult to work through and that's

17:22

why

17:23

I drinking a little more frequent

17:27

smoking a little more

17:29

[Music]

17:30

I kept two million secrets she got every

17:34

reason to hate me cuz I play with

17:37

her she got every reason they ha me and

17:41

it's tearing me

17:43

up she got every reason so now I'm

17:47

drinking a little more frequent smoking

17:50

a little more L I kept two million

17:54

secrets she got every reason to hate me

17:57

I don't blame you for hating

18:00

me got every reason to ha me I don't

18:03

blame you for hating

18:07

[Music]

18:15

me thank

18:19

you okay and Now ladies and gentlemen

18:23

hey a dedication to my favorite kind of

18:26

woman the independent woman let's go hey

18:33

you

18:35

[Music]

18:39

you it's something about just something

18:43

about the way she

18:45

move I can't figure it out something

18:48

about she know the words hey it's

18:52

something about kind of woman that want

18:54

you but don't need you hey I can't

18:57

figure it out something

19:00

about I said cuz you I like the boss I

19:04

like the boss man Nails set the

19:07

P she

19:12

littley she move like a boss do what

19:15

balls do she got me thinking about

19:17

getting invol involv see that's the kind

19:20

of girl I need anybody know the words

19:23

she got her own thing that's why I love

19:28

her

19:28

[Music]

19:30

miss you come a little

19:35

time she got her

19:38

own that's why I love

19:44

that

19:48

inde of everything to say don't worry I

19:51

got it I

19:53

got and everything she got best believe

19:56

she bought bought wo she going to steal

20:00

my heart ain't no about it you're

20:05

everything I

20:06

need

20:15

[Applause]

20:17

everything she got

20:20

her that's why I

20:42

shend that's why

20:46

[Music]

20:48

[Applause]

20:52

I ladies and

20:54

gentlemen this has been tiny desk I have

20:58

been Neo for quite some time now and I'm

21:02

still Neo I want to take this

21:04

opportunity to introduce y'all to the

21:05

band on Basse we got my man

21:10

Justin on Keys we got my man Monty back

21:14

here I'm drunk you got my man

21:17

Pudge please give it up for my ham Hawks

21:20

over here we

21:21

[Music]

21:22

[Applause]

21:24

got I'm

21:26

sorry Courtney I'm sorry my bad

21:29

and on heart we have the lovely I don't

21:31

want to mess your name baby wait a

21:34

minute Madison

21:38

[Applause]

21:40

C Madison is the newest member of the

21:42

band don't judge

21:43

me thank you all for coming I appreciate

21:45

y'all you ain't got to go

21:48

home you get peace of love everybody

21:59

[Music]

22:09

I got to forget the leader of my damn

22:10

band

22:14

R I told you I was

22:17

nervous thank you all Peace

22:21

[Music]

22:26

Love yeah yeah

22:31

that's why I love her

22:36

this you come and spend little time

22:40

she's got her

22:42

own that's why I love

22:47

[Applause]

22:58

w

23:03

[Applause]

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