Chrisette Michele - What You Do ft. Ne-Yo

What this video is

Released in July 2009 as the third single from Chrisette Michele's landmark sophomore album Epiphany—which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, a rare achievement for a neo-soul artist—'What You Do' represents the late-2000s moment when contemporary R&B was successfully bridging soulful, jazz-inflected vocals with mainstream pop production. The collaboration with Ne-Yo, himself a dominant hitmaker and songwriter of…

Why it matters

A key artifact of late-2000s neo-soul crossover R&B: demonstrates how Def Jam leveraged the critical and commercial momentum of Epiphany to reposition Chrisette Michele as a mainstream star without sacrificing her soulful identity. The Ne-Yo feature bridges the neo-soul and urban pop audiences,…

The director

Ray Kay (born Reinert K. Olsen, July 10, 1978) is a Norwegian music video director and photographer based in Los Angeles. Known for cinematic, high-gloss work with artists including Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, and Destiny's Child.…