The R&B icon returns to our stages in October for two nights of hits that shaped a generation. From "So Sick" to "Irreplaceable" yes, he wrote that one too.

If you were anywhere near a radio between 2005 and 2015, Ne-Yo's voice is essentially part of your muscle memory. The three-time Grammy winner behind "Closer", "Miss Independent" and "Because of You" is heading back to South Africa this October, and if the combined 23 billion streams his catalogue has amassed are anything to go by, he won't be playing to empty seats.

Cape Town gets to experience the soul singer at GrandWest on Saturday 17 October before he heads to Pretoria, his second night at SunBet Arena on Sunday the 18th. Both shows are produced by Vertex Events, promising evenings built on one of the most enduring back catalogues in contemporary R&B.

It really is a catalogue worth dwelling on. Ne-Yo's own run of hits, "So Sick", hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005 and went quadruple platinum, would be enough for most artists. But he has also spent his career quietly building one of pop music's great songwriting bodies of work behind the scenes. He penned Rihanna's "Unfaithful", "Take a Bow" and "Russian Roulette". He wrote Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable". He has put songs on albums by Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion and Carrie Underwood, among others. The man is, in the truest sense, a songwriter's songwriter.

He arrives in South Africa fresh off the release of "Highway 79", a country-inspired album out 10 July, which signals that Ne-Yo has no intention of being defined by any single era or genre. His latest single, "Miss Tundra", is already out.

"Giving audiences a chance to experience a talented and respected artist such as Ne-Yo is a great pleasure for our team. Our vision to bring timeless music to the fans will once again happen with hard work, dedication and precision." - Thato Segaole, Vertex Events

17 Oct -Cape Town Grand Arena                  

18 Oct  Pretoria SunBet Arena

From R950 

Gates open at 6 PM on both nights. Tickets available on Webtickets at webtickets.co.za and at Pick n Pay stores nationwide.