Ne-Yo on Story Behind 'Libra Scale' and Videos

Every week, Ne-Yo opens up a little bit more to ESSENCE.com about his upcoming album “Libra Scale,” which was crafted like a screenplay. This week, he describes the sequence of his first two singles, “Beautiful Monster” and Champagne Life,” and their videos. ESSENCE.com: Last week you told us the story about Jerome, Clyde and Leroy and their challenge to save the planet. (Read full interview here.) You end when Jerome meets Pretti Sinclair. What happens next? NE-YO: That will be revealed in the third installment of the “Libra Scale” story, entitled “One in a Million” — coming soon. Make sure you see the full versions of part one and two to properly follow the story. ESSENCE.com: How does “Champagne Life” play into the storyline of “Libra Scale” and Jerome, Clyde and Leroy lives? NE-YO: “Champagne Life” is the second installment of the story. The song represents when the guys first receive their powers and are living the lives they always wanted, all while cleaning up the city at the same time. ESSENCE.com: Did the music come first for “Libra Scale” or the story? NE-YO: The story came first, honestly making the recording process easier than normal. ESSENCE.com: When you go into the studio, what is your process to create music? NE-YO: Normally my process of creating music is simple: Vibe out with my musicians and just do what comes natural. With this album there was a bit more structure to the process. I knew I needed specific songs for specific parts of the story, so I traveled to different cities to get different vibes for different songs. ESSENCE.com: Will you collaborate with any other artists on “Libra Scale”? Or is this a Ne-Yo solo project? NE-YO: This album is very conceptual. Didn’t feel there was room for a lot of features. The only one you’ll find on the album is Fabolous… Part one: “Beautiful Monster”