| "Never Knew I Needed" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byNe-Yo | ||||
| from the albumThe Princess and the Frog: Original Songs and Score | ||||
| Released | October 27, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||
| Genre | Neo soul | |||
| Length | 3:38 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Shaffer Smith | |||
| Producer(s) | Chuck Harmony | |||
| Ne-Yo singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Never Knew I Needed" onYouTube | ||||
"Never Knew I Needed" is a song written and performed by AmericanR&B singerNe-Yo for the 2009Walt Disney Animation Studios filmThe Princess and the Frog. Produced by Ne-Yo's frequent collaboratorChuck Harmony, it is heard during the end credits of the film and is also the first single fromthe film's original soundtrack. The song, released and sent to rhythmic radio in the U.S. byWalt Disney Records andDef Jam Recordings on December 27, 2008,[1] and released as adigital download on January 3, 2009, had an accompanying music video which was in heavy rotation on theDisney Channel. The song reached number 56 on theBillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[2] The song also has an official remix that featuresCassandra Steen. The song is an R&B ballad that features a drum machine, a piano and a synthesizer in the chorus.
The music video was directed byMelina. It was released on October 29, 2009.[3]
The video pays homage to several scenes inThe Princess and the Frog. It takes place in New Orleans in possibly the jazz age—the time period the film is set. It starts with Ne-Yo walking through the empty streets fantasizing about a woman as jazz musicians play behind him. He walks into a restaurant where he works as a waiter the woman / "Princess" character is a beautiful and clearly wealthy customer who is dining with her family. Ne-Yo then goes into an empty warehouse which he imagines is a kitchen (homage to the scene in which Almost There is performed). He dreams the woman has come to visit him and they are eating some of Ne-Yo's cooking and having a good time with each other. Ne-Yo then takes astreetcar and he sees the woman with her family outside the home through the window. The woman looks up and sees him on the streetcar and runs after it. This is intercut with Ne-Yo overlooking the bayou where a large portion of the Princess and the Frog takes place. He turns around and the woman is standing behind him the two run to each other and share a kiss while two frogs on the bayou are also seen kissing.
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart[4] | 64 |
| Japan Hot 100[5] | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart | 99 |
| USBillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[6] | 56 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Soundtrack |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Other | ||
| Related Video games | ||
| Related | ||
