MANILA, Philippines - What makes Ne-Yo so hot that tickets to the first of his two-night concerts (Feb. 29 and Mar. 1) at the Araneta Coliseum reportedly sold out two weeks ago?

Listening to his albums should give some answers.

?In His Own Words? (Def Jam/MCA Philippines), Ne-Yo?s 2006 debut CD, went straight to number one on the Billboard chart. It may sound like typical R&B with the usual slick production values (programmed handclaps and drum rhythms)?but the artist writes his songs in a peculiar way.

The hit single ?So Sick? catches the attention not only for its hooks and Ne-Yo?s silky vocals, but also for the manner in which the artist, portraying a jilted lover, goes into the details of the move-on process?for example, changing the voice in his answering machine and crossing out key dates on the calendar.

Kicker

But the chorus is the kicker?five lines that reveal the contradicting thoughts of a heartsick, more than jaded, romantic: ?I?m so sick of love songs/So tired of tears/So done with wishing you were still here/Said I?m so sick of love songs so sad and slow/So why can?t I turn off the radio??

Another track, ?When You?re Mad,? stands out for its twisted view of feminine appeal. In the song, the girlfriend raises hell when she gets angry?something that the guy finds ?cute? in a weird, masochistic way. Imagine the girl?s ?yelling and throwing things? causing an attraction that leads to this scenario: ?Makes me wanna just take off all your clothes ? ?

The 28-year-old?s 2007 follow-up album, ?Because of You,? is even better in a ?wicked? way. There?s more erotica, for one, though expressed unconventionally.

In ?Addicted,? the infectious chorus argues why the speaker is, on the contrary, not hooked on carnal pleasure. Then there?s another cut, ?Sex With My Ex,? which could raise eyebrows.

There are brooding tracks as well, poised to transform Ne-Yo into, possibly, the successor to Michael Jackson.

Two songs feature other Afro-American stars as guests: Jay-Z in ?Crazy? and Jennifer Hudson in ?Leaving Tonight.?

The latter is particularly moving. Ne-Yo?s songwriting sets up Hudson in stanzas in which she soars with vocals so mellifluous, you can taste it.

As for a few characteristic styles that point to Jackson as an influence, we ask the fans to listen closely to Ne-Yo?s heaves and gasps that recall many songs on Jackson?s ?Thriller? and ?Bad? albums. This is not a put-down, because Ne-Yo actually sounds good and wields enough power to make you want to dance.

We can almost see this happening at his Big Dome gigs, the crowd forsaking their seats to get into Ne-Yo?s rhythm. From the sound of the songs on this record, it would be a breeze.

E-mail pconcepcion@inquirer.com.ph