VIA PRESS RELEASE | Three-time Grammy award-winning hitmaker NE-YO celebrates two decades of his breakthrough full-length debut album, In My Own Words, with the release of a new special Expanded Edition, In My Own Words (20th Anniversary), out June 19, 2026.
It arrives in multiple configurations, including physical and making its digital debut on most DSP platforms. The 2LP standard version is pressed on classic Standard Weight Black Vinyl and lands in stores nationwide and online. A limited-edition “Enchanted Night” color 2LP vinyl drops exclusively D2C through NE-YO’s uDiscover, Sounds of Vinyl, and Complex. A standard edition CD will also be available at brick-and-mortar retailers and online. Pre-order HERE.
All iterations of In My Own Words (20th Anniversary) notably feature brand new 2026 mixes of the original record’s 13 tracks. Plus, it flaunts a fresh 2026 mix of the fan favorite bonus cut “Girlfriend” and another remix of the opener “Stay.” He has also added special acoustic versions of “So Sick” and “Sexy Love” recorded live in Atlanta during 2021, which will be available across all streaming platforms for the first time after previously being exclusive to YouTube.
The CD and digital versions boast a handful of exclusive gems, featuring acoustic studio renditions of “So Sick” and “Sexy Love” and instrumental tracks for “When You’re Mad” and “So Sick.”
Back on February 28, 2006, NE-YO first unveiled In My Own Words. In order to present an unfiltered and undeniable body of work for his debut, he took the reins and co-wrote the album. Upon release, it bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200, went Platinum within one month, and later doubled to 2x-Platinum.
The album yielded a string of generational smashes such as “Sexy Love” and the quadruple-platinum hit “So Sick.” The latter vaulted to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has clocked over 1.1 billion Spotify streams and counting. To date, In My Own Words has amassed over 4.8 billion global streams, a testament to its lasting cultural impact. In retrospect, Rolling Stone touted “So Sick” among “The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century,” going on to marvel at how, “NE-YO’s resigned vocal delivery imbues the song’s wallowing with a bittersweetness that makes his inability to switch his tuner to something, anything else feel gently tragic.”
To this day, In My Own Words remains a 21st century R&B staple lauded by fans and tastemakers alike. Most recently, NE-YO unveiled his latest, country-inspired single “Up Out & Gone” in March 2026 to continue his expansion into the new genre. He also appeared at the 2026 iHeart Radio Music Awards, where he presented Kehlani with the “R&B Song of the Year” award.
NE-YO is currently preparing to kick off the Nights Like This Tour in Dublin, Ireland alongside fellow heavyweight Akon. For nearly four months, the duo’s jaunt canvases Europe, the United States, and Canada. It comes to a close with a massive show on August 21 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA.
