Ne-Yo knows that people appreciate his music. After all, his first two albums have gone platinum and the singer/songwriter has helped pen such hits as Beyonce’s Grammy-nominated “Irreplaceable” and Rihanna’s recent smash “Take a Bow.”

Just before the release of his third album, “The Year of the Gentleman,” Ne-Yo (the 28-year-old born Shaffer Smith) sat down to talk about his new CD, his image and his reasons for feeling underappreciated.