(an acronym for Realizing Every Dream), is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, first released on October 31, 2012, in Japan.

"[2] During various press interviews back in 2011, Ne-Yo had previously titled the album The Cracks in Mr Perfect.

"[4] R.E.D is Ne-Yo's first album since moving from Island Def Jam to Motown Records, where he also serves as senior vice president for the label's A&R division.

[2] Ironically, the album’s title and artwork did draw comparison’s to Taylor Swift’s Red which release earlier the same month.

Ne-Yo reunited with long-term collaborators such as Norwegian songwriting/production duo StarGate, as well as UK producer Harmony, No I.D.

"[5] Some critics responded to the comments made by Ne-Yo and came to the conclusion that the singer had "lost touch" with his R&B roots.

[3] The song also contains a verse about having "unprotected sex", with Tracey Garraud from Rolling Stone magazine noting a "deeper" and "maturer" subject content for the singer.

[2] Ne-Yo told Hip-Hop Wired that he was also hoping to record a song with rapper Young Jeezy.

[2] Released as the album's lead single, "Lazy Love" features a "sonorous base" line and "slow-drip synths" with lyrics that centre on the "languid desire that pins a couple to their sheets way past morning".

The song draws inspiration from Mary J. Blige's 1995 single "I Love You" and features the duo singing about regrets with the aid of "one-liners".

[2] Newcomer ReVaughn Brown also recorded guest vocals for the album on a song called "All She Wants".

[1] Continuing the more adult content, the song "Stress Reliever" centers around the singer's favorite sex position.

[22] During an interview with DJ Whoo Kid on Shade 45 radio, Ne-Yo said that the album's third single would probably be a song called "Should Be You" featuring rappers Fabolous and Diddy.

[23] However, on October 4, 2012, Ne-Yo confirmed that "Don't Make Em Like You" featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa had been selected as the album's third single instead.

[29] Ken Capobianco of Boston Globe lauded the album's production, writing that Ne-Yo successfully augments dance-oriented pop with love songs.

"[30] Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly praised Ne-Yo's advancing maturity, the album's lyrics and the track "She Is", which he described as a "country-tinged", "smooth and casual" record.

"[31] Nate Chinen of The New York Times also praised the latter track, noting several other songs as stand-outs, including "Carry On (Her Letter to Him)", "Shut Me Down", "Cracks in Mr.

Chinen also depicted Ne-Yo's "fondness for harmonic twists" which "reframe his melodies as he’s singing them", and his stylistic departure from his previous albums.

[32] The Washington Post's Sarah Godfrey recognized Ne-Yo as an "extremely gifted and versatile songwriter", noting R.E.D.

to contain some "great music", but showing a "clumsy attempt to cram all of Ne-Yo's gifts into one package", making the album "disjointed" as a whole.

He went on comment on its highlights as "all casual, subtle, finely detailed mid-tempo numbers and slow jams," but was disappointed in the lack of "energetic songs" that descended from soul and funk, noting "It Just Ain't Right," "Because of You", "Nobody" and "Champagne Life as examples of Ne-Yo's past work honing such genres.

Perfect" and "Lazy Love", which "share an up-close intimacy" with songs by Beyoncé and Frank Ocean.