*R&B hitmaker NE-YO is setting the record straight about his next musical chapter, and the terminology matters to him.
Speaking with press on the red carpet at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 26, the singer-songwriter drew a firm line around how his upcoming project should — and shouldn’t — be described.
For NE-YO, the reasoning comes down to genuine admiration for the genre and those who have built careers within it. “I honestly feel like it would be disrespectful for me to say I’m doing a country album when I know for a fact that there are artists that eat, sleep, live, and breathe country music 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.
He was equally direct about how he prefers the project to be understood. “I’m doing a project that’s inspired by all the things I love about country music,” NE-YO said, continuing, “And then for me to just jump in and say, ‘Oh I’m doing a country album.’ So this is music that is inspired by what I love about country music.”
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NE-YO also took the opportunity to drum up excitement for the “Nights Like This Tour,” a joint run with Akon. The tour begins in Europe before the North American dates kick off June 17 in Vancouver. Tickets are available now at livenation.com.
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