Year of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings on September 16, 2008 in the United States. As with his previous albums In My Own Words (2006) and Because of You (2007), Ne-Yo worked with Stargate, Reggie "Syience" Perry, and Shea Taylor on much of the album, but also consulted new collaborators, including Chuck Harmony, Polow da Don, The Stereotypes, Butter Beats, and Shomari "Sho" Wilson.
 
The album was a commercial success, charting in the top-10 in several countries. Year of the Gentleman reached number two on the US Billboard 200 and was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of one million copies in the United States, making it his third platinum-selling album as well as his third consecutive top ten album following Because of You. It has also been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for shipments of 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom. It was also certified in Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia.
 
Released to favorable reviews from music critics, Year of the Gentleman earned Ne-Yo nominated six Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 51st award ceremony. Rolling Stone ranked it number 33 on its list of the 50 Best albums of 2008. In support of the album, Def Jam released four singles, including international hit singles "Closer" and "Miss Independent", as well as "Mad" and "Part of the List".