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NE-YO is opening up about why he's making a country-inspired album.
The R&B singer-songwriter spoke about his upcoming project while on the red carpet of the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night, March 26. NE-YO fell short of calling it a full-on country album because he believes it would be disrespectful to actual country artists.
"I'm doing a project that's inspired by all the things I love about country music," he said. "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."
"And then for me to just jump in and say, 'Oh I'm doing a country album,'" he continued. "So this is music that is inspired by what I love about country music."
NE-YO has been teasing the arrival of his country-inspired album for the past few months. Back in November, he dropped the album's first single, "Simple Things," which has him crooning over a blend of R&B and country.
In addition to the album, NE-YO also spoke about his upcoming tour with Akon. The "Nights Like This Tour" will celebrate NE-YO and Akon's iconic catalogs. The duo will kick things off in Europe before they work their way to the U.S. and Canada, beginning June 17 in Vancouver. Tickets are on sale now on livenation.com.
The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards is hosted by Ludacris and will feature performances by TLC, En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa, Kehlani, RAYE, Alex Warren, and more.