"So Sick" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, written alongside Norwegian production duo Stargate for Ne-Yo's debut studio album, In My Own Words (2006). Produced by Stargate, the song was released as the second single from the album on November 21, 2005, and received favorable reviews from music critics. "So Sick" peaked at number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. In Europe, the single topped the Eurochart Hot 100 and entered the top 20 in 10 countries, including Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland. In Australasia, the single reached number two in New Zealand and number four in Australia. Background Ne-Yo met Norwegian production team Stargate, consisting of Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, in a hallway at Sony Music Studios on West 54th Street, New York City after the duo had settled there in the early 2005. After finding out they produced R&B-oriented tracks, among others, they started on writing songs for his debut studio album In My Own Words (2006) for which they produced six songs, including "So Sick". While Eriksen and Hermansen composed the music for the song, Ne-Yo penned the song's lyrics. "So Sick" centers on a character, who is tired of hearing love songs playing on the radio, as they remind him of his last relationship and breakup. Ne-Yo later confirmed that he got the idea for the song from a former girlfriend: "It's about the first time I fell in love with a girl in a way that I completely screwed it up. So it was a story that I didn't have to think really hard about putting it together. A lot of heartbreak went into that song, so that's why I think a lot of people dug it the way they did – because you can feel it." Reception "So Sick" received generally positive responses from contemporary music critics. Bill Lamb of About stated that the smooth instrumental of the song makes it stand out and appropriate to listen during the mid-winter season. He was pleased with Ne-Yo's vocals but noted that "more emotional involvement would have made his performance more memorable", calling them "restrained". A review from Contactmusic.com echoed the latter's comment, saying that his vocal rendition is "stunning", while complimenting the Stargate production, defining it as a "melodic masterpiece". Music video The music video for "So Sick" was directed by Hype Williams