Watch: Ne-Yo Embraces 'Simple Things' With Country-Inspired Era On The Way

Ne-Yo embraced country music during a whirlwind week in Nashville, Tennessee, and he isn’t slowing down.

The singer-songwriter, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist is known for career-spanning hits “So Sick,” “Mad,” “Because Of You,” “Miss Independent,” “Give Me Everything,” and more. He’s also penned music for other iconic artists, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion and Jennifer Hudson, to name a few. Ne-Yo said he’s a lifelong fan of country, “a fun fact” that “not very many people know.” Now, the three-time Grammy winner and R&B megastar is sharing that side of his passion for music with his new country-inspired single, the first from a project due next year. It arrives after his team-up with “Here for the Party” hitmaker Gretchen Wilson to present the Vocal Duo of the Year award at the 59th CMA Awards, and his “bucket list” debut performance at the historic Grand Ole Opry during its centennial year.

“(I’ve) been a country music fan forever,” Ne-Yo told iHeartRadio on the CMA Awards red carpet on Wednesday evening (November 19). He said his interest in the genre “started with Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and just kind of been going from there. My next project is a country-inspired project. I won’t call it a country album because I’m not a country artist. I feel like that’s a little disrespectful. But definitely inspired by all the things I love about country music.”

The first single from Ne-Yo’s country-inspired era, “Simple Things,” arrived on Friday (November 21), the same day that marks the 20th anniversary of “So Sick.” The iconic single scored Ne-Yo his first No. 1 when he released it in 2005. it appeared on his debut studio record, In My Own Words. Ne-Yo said of “Simple Things”: “Long story short, it’s about the things that really matter in life: family, friends, faith, you know. …Quality music.”

Ne-Yo first teased country-inspired chapter on the Joe and Jada podcast earlier this year. Now, he “marks a reinvention” and shows his “dynamic versatility as a songwriter and artist,” with his newest single,” states a press release issued Friday. Dave Cohen and Young Lan teamed up to produce the song, which Ne-Yo recorded in Nashville. The Opry’s audience heard “Simple Things” for the first time during Ne-Yo’s debut performance at the legendary venue on Thursday evening (November 20). He told iHeartRadio that he was “shaking in my boots, literally. I have on boots and I’m shaking.” Stepping into the historic circle on the Opry stage was a “bucket list” moment.

“I’ll put it this way: I’ve touched the Grammys stage, American Music Awards, BET music Awards, MTV Music Awards, I’ve circled the globe a few different times. The Opry is one of those that was on the bucket list that I wasn’t sure if I was ever gonna get to mark off. I get to mark it off tomorrow,” Ne-Yo said on the 2025 CMA Awards red carpet. The powerhouse singer-songwriter (who is also preparing for the Broadway stage for his debut in Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen) added to the Opry crowd, “I get nervous before every show. that’s just what it is. And every time I get to this place, I remind myself what my reality is. I get to do what I love as my profession. this is what I get to do for a living. So, get up here and have fun with it. that’s what I’m doing.”

Ne-Yo kicked off his Opry debut with “So Sick,” in celebration of the iconic song’s 20th anniversary. He followed it with a surprise onstage collaboration with powerhouse duo The War and Treaty. The three of them teamed up to cover “Bless the Broken Road,” released by Rascal Flatts in 2004.

“My next project is going to be country-inspired. I’ve been a country music fan for as long as I can remember. It started with my mom. She brought me Reba McEntire’s ‘Fancy,’ and I’ve been in love ever since,” Ne-Yo said on stage at the Opry after his Rascal Flatts cover with The War and Treaty. “It is a country-inspired album. But tomorrow, I’m dropping my first single from said project. It’s called ‘Simple Things,’ and I would like to share it with you now.”

“I had a ball. Looking forward to coming back next year, nominated and performing. I’m claiming it now,” Ne-Yo said of the CMAs in a post-performance interview on the Opry stage. “Thank you for allowing me to be here. This is a literal dream come true for me. I could not be more grateful. …This is all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life. I literally gave myself no ‘Option B.’ It was this, or ‘you want fries with that?’ Ne-Yo said, garnering laughs from the Opry audience. “This was gonna work, or that was it. That was it. So, I’m blessed and I’m aware of it. And again, I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Listen to “Simple Things” here: