Ne-Yo Opens Up About His Country Debut

While Nashville is synonymous with country music, Music City’s indie scene is vital. In this special episode of Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, we introduce you to Crystal Rose, a singer-songwriter with a stunner of a voice working in the R&B and folk space. At a recent showcase in East Nashville, Rose hypnotized the crowd with a flash choir, making for an indelible musical moment. Rose tells us how it came about, what’s on the horizon, and why Nashville is an important creative hub for musicians of all genres. Country is Here… Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When music fans talk about “heartland rock,” they’re describing the catalog of Kip Moore. The Georgia native broke out in Nashville in the 2010s with radio hits like “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck,” but evolved into one of the most dynamic artists, a singer-songwriter who headlines stadiums overseas. So why won’t Nashville give him his due? In a candid episode of Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Moore opens up about his success, his roadblocks, and his stellar new album, Reason to Believe. Country is Here… Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Auerbach has called Gregg Allman “the foundation of what I do.” On the ninth anniversary of the Allman Brothers Band leader’s death, Auerbach joins Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now for a very special episode filmed at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound in Nashville. The Black Keys singer-guitarist goes deep into how Allman influenced him personally, as well as the music of the Black Keys, and opens up about the grief that informed the band’s new album Peaches!, which was recorded as Auerbach’s father was dying. It’s an emotional interview, steeped in music history and the legacy of Gregg Allman, only on Nashville Now.   Country is Here… Nashville is Now.   Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a new episode of The Rolling Stone Interview, writer Jack Crosbie sits down with president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for a conversation about running an empire, what legacy means to him, and the upcoming fight at the White House. The upcoming cage match in honor of the country’s 250th birthday was arranged at the behest of White’s “very close” friend, President Donald Trump, and will be put on by perhaps the single most important figure in American sports, Dana White. He’s the gateway to America’s most intimate displays of violence, a multiplatform empire that he says will encompass “every way that you could possibly kick another person’s ass.” That business has intersected with some of the most powerful people in every corner of the world. He’s got the ear of the president, the attention of the nation, and he’s just getting started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fans of gritty TV dramas know Luke Grimes from his role as Kayce Dutton on Yellowstone and now CBS’s Marshals, which airs it's Season 1 finale on May 24th. But Grimes is every bit the country singer and songwriter as he is accomplished actor. In this freewheeling episode of Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, the Ohio native turned Montana resident shares what went into his new album Red Bird, how he made the successful transition to all-around artist, and why he said yes to reviving the role of Kayce on CBS’s latest hit. It’s a Nashville-meets-Hollywood conversation, only on Nashville Now.   Country is Here… Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Tyler White joined Love on the Spectrum, Netflix’s series about the dating lives of people with varying degrees of autism, he became an instant fan favorite for his Southern charm and wealth of country music knowledge. Now, the Florida native is making a go as a country singer, with help from some Nashville power players. Tyler joins Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast to talk about his debut single “Oh Yeah Baby,” his experience on Love on the Spectrum, and what it’s like to encounter fans of the show. He even shares an update on his and Madison’s wedding plans. It’s a heartwarming episode that highlights the true power of country music, only on Nashville Now.   Country is Here… Nashville is Now.   Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Mac is leading a proud, new charge for queer country music, but getting to this point wasn’t without its challenges. The Russellville, Kentucky, native joins us in the Nashville Now cabin to talk about the discrimination he’s faced, including harsh public words from a pastor in his hometown, and how he’s overcome it. Mac also shares the origin of his band the “Cowgays”, with Brooke Eden and Chris Housman, and how he approaches his version of masculinity. And in a candid display of courage, the singer opens up about rewriting a homophobic song by Hank Williams Jr. He’s a new face of country music, only on Nashville Now. Country is Here…Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a new episode of The Rolling Stone Interview podcast, writer Larisha Paul sits down with singer and songwriter Niall Horan as he gears up for the release of his new album, Dinner Party. At 32, he’s spent half of his life playing shows and releasing records, first as a member of One Direction, and for the past decade, all on his own. The past few years in particular have found him in an introspective state as he reflects on falling in love and contending with grief following the death of his former bandmate, Liam Payne. Horan processes it all through music. He approaches pop with optimism, honesty, and an exceptional ear for sharp melodies. Four solo albums in, Horan is most interested in celebrating life and love with thousands of fans each night on his increasingly ambitious tours – then retreating from the spotlight until there are more songs to play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy birthday, Willie Nelson! In honor of the country music legend turning 93 on April 29, Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast joins forces with Texas Monthly and PRX’s One By Willie podcast for a very special crossover episode. One By Willie host John Spong, the preeminent scholar on all things Willie, joins Nashville Now host Joseph Hudak in the cabin to talk about Willie’s catalog of songs and why each is uniquely important. Then, Spong asks Hudak about the impact that Nelson’s 1980 Number One hit “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” had on his own life. It’s a celebration of the Red Headed Stranger! Country is Here…Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in 2012, Ne-Yo teamed up with Tim McGraw for the country/R&B collaboration “She Is.” Now, Ne-Yo is returning to Nashville to work on his own country-influenced project. We welcome the singer to the Nashville Now cabin to talk about going country, his love of Reba McEntire, and the time Tim and Faith Hill had him over for fried chicken. He also opens up about his personal experience so far in Music City and on the rowdy blocks of Lower Broadway, and how it may be different than what some fans might expect. It’s a sit-down with an R&B great, only on Nashville Now.   Country is Here… Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices