1 on the charts, it’s certified six times platinum and is one of the best-selling digital singles of all time, with 11.2 million digital copies sold. “Give Me Everything” is an Afrojack-produced club banger that featured on Pitbull’s 2011 album Planet Pit. It was “Part 2” featuring Ne-Yo, however, that proved to be the version with staying power, as it combines his tender singing voice with Plies’ gritty, hard-hitting rap verses. Rapper Plies made his Janet Jackson-sampling song “Bust It Baby” the first single off Definition of Real, in 2008. The song earned Hudson two Grammy nominations.įemale empowerment and self-love are a few of the themes Ne-Yo focused on for Keri Hilson’s 2010 song, “Pretty Girl Rock.” Over sugary yet sassy production that features a subtle sample of Bill Withers’ “Just The Two Of Us,” Hilson repeats affirmations about being “beautiful” and “fly,” hoping to instill a sense of confidence in herself and her listeners.

The mid-tempo R&B ballad keeps her show-stopping pipes intact while remaining relatable to the average listener, as she sings about sticking it to a no-good partner. Thanks to Ne-Yo, Jennifer Hudson’s 2008 debut single showed a different side of the Oscar-winner, whose work in Dreamgirls was focused on theatrics and themes of self-reflection. Ne-Yo also wrote the track from a male perspective, but later recognized it would be more empowering for a woman to sing. Ne-Yo’s initial idea was to make the 2006 hit a country tune, however, production and lyrical tweaks made it a Queen Bey staple. Beyoncé’s number one single “Irreplaceable” went through several twists and turns before making its way into her catalogue.

Ne yo one in a million youtube