Ne-Yo, who’s been in the game for almost two and-a-half decades at this point, rarely misses when it comes to the emotional breakup song. His voice, his delivery, his lyrics — all of it works in harmony and puts you right in the R&B icon’s shoes as he bares his soul and shares his emotions.
Today, just a couple months after introducing his newborn daughter to the world, the “Miss Independent” singer showed up and showed out with his new single “What If.”
Showing off his signature vocals, Ne-Yo gets down to business, seemingly talking to the listener or, in this case, a former lover in a half-speaking, half-singing. Building into a big chorus in which Ne-Yo wonders what would have happened had just a couple things gone differently, the record runs through the ups and downs of the end of a relationship and the feelings that come with realizing it’s over.
Featuring a catchy hook with tons of dance possibilities, “What If” comes with visuals that find Ne-Yo face-to-face with a broken mirror, his classic fedora and some good, old-fashioned 90s R&B, dancing a couple inches of water as rain falls in the background routines featuring the singer himself and a cast of background dancers.
A record that you’ll be able to play when you catch yourself staring in the mirror a little too long, “What If” is an emotional mix of poignant lyrics and moving music that is sure to get you feeling something.
Quotable Lyrics
And I promised you we’d make it
Fast forward two years and we were over
Ubered to the airport when I knew I should’ve drove you
Later on I’d tell myself that breaking up was worth
But deep down I’m still uncertain
Check out “What If” and its official music video below and let us know what you think in the comments.