The R&B star, born Shaffer Smith, had to work through a negative premonition about the Nashville<\/a> music scene bestowed upon him by friends in the industry.<\/p>\n “It came with all these warnings and all this fear that people were trying to put on me,” Ne-Yo said during an appearance on Rolling Stone’s “Nashville Now” podcast.<\/p>\n “They\u2019re not real accepting of anything outside of what they do over there. In Nashville, it’s really cliquey, and if you don\u2019t know this person or if you haven\u2019t done this … I hate to admit it, but I came out here kind of expecting something like that.”<\/p>\n DOLLY PARTON UNVEILS FAVORITE NASHVILLE DESTINATIONS AMID NEW TRAVEL STOP PARTNERSHIP<\/a><\/p>\n Ne-Yo found inspiration in the country music scene for his next untitled album. (Mariano Regidor)<\/p>\n Despite what he heard about Music City, Ne-Yo’s experience has been the “exact opposite” while working on his as-yet-untitled “country-inspired” album<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Every single person that I\u2019ve worked with out here has embraced what I\u2019m trying to do with open arms,” Ne-Yo declared.<\/p>\n “Everybody\u2019s interested and intrigued about how I\u2019m going to take what I do and what country music is and fuse them together, and what that could sound like. Everybody\u2019s just been real receptive.”<\/p>\n LAINEY WILSON SAYS CITY PEOPLE HAVE WRONG VIEW OF COUNTRY TOWNS AS SHE DEFENDS HER ‘BLUE COLLAR’ ROOTS<\/a><\/p>\n He added, “So I\u2019m waiting to meet whoever the hell it is that is going to be the bane of my Nashville existence. This person has not reared their head yet.”<\/p>\n Ne-Yo said the Nashville community has been welcoming toward his ideas. (Emma McIntyre)<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n The “Closer” singer was so wrong about his perception of Music City, that he’s debating putting down permanent roots.<\/p>\n “I’m debating on whether or not I should move to Nashville,” he said. “It’s looking like that because I’m absolutely loving it out here, loving the atmosphere, I love writing out here.”<\/p>\n Ne-Yo also reflected on the impact country music has had on his life before praising the vulnerability in Dolly Parton’s<\/a> ’73 anthem, “Jolene.”<\/p>\n Ne-Yo found country music inspiration by the likes of Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. (Axelle\/Bauer-Griffin)<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n “That’s such a human song, you know what I mean? It’s not because it’s not about, you know, the stroke of the ego, which is kind of what a lot of music is today … she’s literally begging another woman not to steal her man,” he said. “Everybody’s too cool for a song like that nowadays, you know what I mean?<\/p>\n “I just love that country music is bold enough<\/a> to go there and really show emotion … human emotion. You don’t gotta be the coolest guy in the room in a country song.”<\/p>\n![\"Ne-Yo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/neyo-country.jpeg\")
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