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Ne-Yo Takes a Country Road With ‘Highway 79’: ‘We Wanted to Make Music People Related To’
Ne-Yo has released Highway 79, his first fully country-inspired album, after drawing on an earlier positive recording experience in Nashville with Tim McGraw. The project blends his established R&B and soul influences with country songwriting, and reflects his wish to make accessible music that listeners can relate to rather than deliberately pursuing hit singles.
Released on 10 July through HSG Ventures/10K Projects, the album was written during four months in Nashville with collaborators including Luke Laird, Breland, Charles Kelley and Claude Kelly. Its songs range from the reflective “Simple Things” and “If I Roped the Moon” to the more energetic “Dance Right Now”, while the title refers to Highway 79, the Arkansas road linking Ne-Yo’s hometown of Camden with Bearden, where his extended family lived.
In short
- Ne-Yo blends country with his R&B and soul sound.
- Highway 79 was shaped by four months in Nashville.
- The title honours Ne-Yo’s Arkansas family roots.
Explained simply
Ne-Yo is an established R&B and soul artist with a successful music career spanning two decades. He released Highway 79, described as his first fully country-inspired album, representing a significant genre shift from his previous work. The project blends his established R&B and soul influences with country songwriting.
The album came about following a positive recording experience in Nashville that inspired Ne-Yo to spend four months there with country music collaborators including Luke Laird and Charles Kelley. Instead of focusing on hit singles, he aimed to create music that listeners could relate to on a personal level. This collaborative approach combined his established musical sensibilities with country songwriting traditions.
The album's title references Highway 79 in Arkansas, the road connecting Ne-Yo's hometown of Camden with Bearden, where his extended family lived. This personal connection reflects the project's relatable approach to music-making.
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