For Ne-Yo, “So Sick” was a life-changing hit. Before the song’s release in late 2005, the artist born Shaffer Smith had already been a successful behind-the-scenes figure in the music industry, most notably as a writer on Mario’s chart-topping “Let Me Love You.” But when “So Sick” also soared up the Hot 100, Ne-Yo secured his own place in the spotlight.
Ne-Yo performs “So Sick” in a new episode of “The One,” an Apple Music video series in which artists present a stripped-down rendition of an especially significant track in their catalog. The video is viewable now on Ne-Yo and Apple Music’s YouTube channels.
Ne-Yo wrote “So Sick” with the Norwegian production duo Stargate after a chance encounter at New York’s Sony Music Studios, where he and Stargate were both working on new music. In John Seabrook’s book The Song Machine, he describes hearing Stargate’s beat for the song for the first time: “When the track started, I teared up.” He channeled his own recent heartbreak into lyrics about a painful breakup, leading to the song that would become his breakthrough hit.
“It’s definitely the one that started it all,” Ne-Yo later told Billboard of the song’s success. “So Sick” became Ne-Yo’s first No. 1 hit as a recording artist, establishing him as a radio fixture for years to come. The song has continued to be hugely popular in the streaming era, racking up enough plays to join Spotify’s Billions Club last year.
“So Sick” was the second single from Ne-Yo’s 2006 debut album In My Own Words, powering it to the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart with more than 300,000 in first-week sales. The album recently turned 20 years old, an anniversary the singer is celebrating with a pair of new vinyl formats, a standard edition 2LP and a limited edition “Enchanted Night” Color 2LP, as well as a new CD edition. The 20th anniversary In My Own Words reissues are due out June 19 and available for pre-order now.
