A skilled performer and songwriter, Ne-Yo has made countless hits for himself and other artists. With a clear vision for his future and conscious of the importance of giving back, maybe he really is the one.

In anyone else’s hands, a pen wouldn’t be worth that much. But spending the last year authoring hits for the likes of Jay-Z (“Hollywood”), BeyoncÈ (“Irreplaceable”) and Rihanna (“Unfaithful”), Compound Entertainment/Def Jam recording artist, Ne-Yo, appears to cash in every time he picks up a writing utensil. Today, the 24-year-old singer/songwriter has a cell phone in his hands as he walks through Atlanta International Airport. He’s trying to catch a 6:07 p.m. flight to London, where he’ll kick off a promotional tour for his untitled sophomore album.

Moments before boarding the flight, the man born Shaffer Chimere Smith offers insight as to why he decided to change the name of his highly anticipated follow-up disc from its original title, Know Me. “I’m not completely done yet,” explains the Grammy nominated crooner. “[After] listening to it a few different times, there’s still a couple of elements I feel are missing, as far as my vision of what I want the second album to be and represent. I’ll probably record another two to three more songs, but I always try to wait ’til I’m absolutely finished to name a record, just to see what the whole thing feels like. By the time I get done, Know Me might not make any sense.”

“The songwriting thing was doing really well for me. I already made a million dollars before I even got to Def Jam, so it’s not like I needed what they were offering. I wanted it, but I didn’t need it.”

Coming off the success of his triple-platinum debut, In My Own Words, and box office hit, Stomp the Yard, he just might be right. In just over a year’s time, Ne-Yo has solidified himself as a bona fide star recognized for his natural talent and keen business sense. Getting comfortable in his assigned seat before takeoff, the confident singer reveals a clear vision for how he wants his album to sound. “I write songs to last forever,” he says, before being instructed by the flight crew to shut off all electronic devices. “[The album] comes out this year and 30 years from now, if someone turns it on, it still will make them feel the exact same way it did the first time they heard it. That’s the kind of music I’m trying to make. Timeless music.”