When Ne-Yo first came to Nashville in 2012 to record “She Is” with Tim McGraw for Ne-Yo’s album R.E.D., he says he immediately connected with the city’s relaxed writing and recording style.

“That’s when I realized it’s done a little different in Nashville,” Ne-Yo tells Billboard. “I was expecting to pull up to a studio, but I pulled up to Tim and Faith [Hill]’s home. Tim’s at the door with no shoes on. Faith is in the kitchen, and she made food for everybody, and we just sat in the living room and talked about life and songs. Tim’s always been super supportive of me, just an all-around good dude.”

With his first full-fledged, country-inspired album Highway 79, which released July 10 on HSG Ventures/10K Projects, Ne-Yo set out to recreate that same laid-back feel in the studio. “I was like, ‘I want that vibe all over again,’” he says.

Ne-Yo spent four months in Nashville, writing with artists, writers and producers including Luke Laird, Breland, Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, Dave Cohen and Lady A’s Charles Kelley. He previewed the album’s blend of R&B and soul sounds with songs including the tender “Simple Things” and the party anthem “Up Out and Gone.”

“When I decided I wanted to do something country-inspired, right away the thought was to go to Nashville. It just didn’t make sense to try to do something in the country vein without touching the mecca of country music,” he says. “We didn’t go into the studio trying to make hits. We wanted to make music that people related to — regular people, everybody.”

Those sessions produced songs like “If I Roped the Moon,” inspired by a line his co-writer Kelley brought to the session: “If I rope the moon, you would still want the stars.” “It’s such a classic country metaphor,” Ne-Yo says. “Without even hearing the full song, you hear that line, and you feel something right away.”

Ne-Yo also collaborated with Breland on the high-energy “Dance Right Now.”

“That was the only real preset thing we did in regard to the music,” Ne-Yo says. “With every session, I wanted to go in and just do whatever felt right. But for this session, I was like, ‘I got a couple slow situations. I needed something with some tempo.’ So, the music kind of came first, then from there we just started brainstorming on what the subject matter was going to be. The premise of the whole song is meeting someone in a nightclub, and it’s like, “I could sit here and try to figure out who you are, or you can sit there and try to figure out who I am — or we could just dance and worry about all of that other stuff later.”

It was Ne-Yo’s mother who helped spark the idea for the album title for Highway 79, a nod to the road that connects Ne-Yo’s hometown of Camden, Arkansas (two hours south of Little Rock) with Bearden, Arkansas, where his extended family lived.

“It was like double-wides, trailer parks, the whole nine,” Ne-Yo says of growing up in Arkansas before his family later relocated to Las Vegas. “I’ll say my love for the stage was definitely born in Las Vegas, but my heart and who I am as a person was birthed and nurtured in Arkansas.”

He remembers loving the storytelling aspect of songs such as Reba McEntire’s 1991 version of Bobbie Gentry’s “Fancy.”

“’Fancy’ was the first country song I ever heard in my life,” Ne-Yo recalls. “I wasn’t double digits yet, that’s for certain. First, Reba’s voice, then just the story of it. I remember when my mom brought that song home, I was hooked on it for five days straight.”

Ne-Yo also discovered Kenny Rogers through his love of the music of Lionel Richie, who wrote Rogers’ 1980 country hit “Lady.” He since became a fan of Garth Brooks. “I even love the Chris Gaines thing when he did that,” Ne-Yo says. “I used to think, ‘He has the kind of voice that he can do R&B if he wanted to,’ and then he did that, and I’m like, ‘See?’’

“Country music has songs about the not-so-glamorous part of life, and being just a regular person,” he adds of his affinity for the genre. “You can have the truck and the 9-to-5 [job] and that’s okay. It’s like R&B and hip-hop music, some of it kind of got to this place where you got to be so cool all the time, have all this money, the women got to love you, and you drive this fast car, all these things and that’s just not the reality of 90% of the world. That cool thing can get exhausting. The coolest person I’ve ever met is not that person behind closed doors — they are just a regular person at that point.”

Ne-Yo made several appearances around Nashville leading up to the release of his new album, including making his debut on the Grand Ole Opry in November. That performance included renditions of Ne-Yo’s 2006 pop/R&B hit “So Sick” and a collaboration with The War and Treaty on a version of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road.”

“It’s not a small thing to step into that circle,” Ne-Yo said of his Opry debut. “If they love you there, you did something right. I was a little nervous, but I got up there, did what I did, and it was standing ovation, just open arms and it felt good to be accepted that way. It was an amazing experience.”

Looking ahead, Ne-Yo says he would love to work with The War and Treaty on new music and work with McGraw again (he attempted to work with McGraw again on the Highway 79 project, but says the two artists’ schedules didn’t align).

He’s certain of one thing about Highway 79: there is more where that came from.

“This will not be my last country-inspired album,” Ne-Yo says.

Intocable officially received its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the category of recording, on Thursday (July 16). 

Honored with the 2,852nd star located at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard, the Texas-based group was honored with a 30-minute ceremony that included the presence of Latin hitmaker Edgar Barrera; Nir Seroussi, president of Interscope Capitol Miami; and longtime journalist Jessica Maldonado as the event’s MC. 

“[They are] true icons of Mexican-American identity and pioneers of modern Mexican music, transcending generations and borders,” Maldonado said. “We are a community of immigrants, and your success represents all those Latinos.”  

“They didn’t just build a legacy, they showed the world what música Mexicana could be. Today, so many of those artists are standing on the path that Intocable created,” Seroussi expressed. 

Meanwhile, Barrera shared a sweet anecdote, recalling the time he became a fan of Intocable in his teen years — now, they are his personal friends. He also talked about how they inspired him to be proud of his “border town” identity. “I want you to know how important you are to the new generations, and how you have guided us and opened doors for us,” he told the group. 

Formed in Zapata in the early 1990s by Ricky Muñoz, René Martínez, Sergio Serna, Johnny Lee Rosas, Alex Gulmar and Felix Salinas, Intocable blends Tejano, Norteño, pop, rock and cumbia music. The group has sold an estimated 55 million albums, has 15 No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Regional Mexican Albums chart and 21 No. 1s on Regional Mexican Airplay. They are Grammy, Latin Grammy and Billboard Music Award winners.

Last month the group, in the midst of its Cultura Tour, partnered with Primary Wave Music in a deal covering the band’s catalog as well as its name, image and likeness rights. 

“Thank you for this experience and for putting us here,” Muñoz said in the short-and-sweet speech, where he thanked family members, the group’s hard-working team, and its loyal fans. “Oh, and the most important ones…our composers, who give us their songs and their works, because everything begins with a song.” 

Watch the complete ceremony below.

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From chart-topping music releases to viral fashion moments, celebrity drops have become their own cultural events — and Hailey Bieber’s newest Gap collaboration is already making noise. The model and entrepreneur just launched “The Hailey Jean,” a limited-edition denim capsule inspired by her ’90s style influences and years of wearing Gap jeans.

Married to Grammy-winning singer Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber has become a major force in pop culture, blending beauty, fashion and lifestyle trends across her growing empire. Now, she’s adding designer collaborator to her resume with Gap’s latest celebrity-led collection.

Available Thursday (July 16) online and in select Gap stores, The Hailey Jean capsule features two reimagined versions of the brand’s relaxed denim silhouettes: Extra Baggy Jean and Low Rise Loose Jean. Bieber worked directly with Gap’s design team to transform two vintage Gap jeans from her personal collection into modern takes on the brand’s iconic fits.

BAGGY FIT

Gap

The Hailey Extra Baggy Jean

$89.95

Buy Now at GAP

Choose from three denim washes: light, medium and midnight indigo.

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Straight from Hailey Bieber’s new Gap collection, the Extra Baggy Jean gives fans a chance to shop her signature ’90s-inspired denim aesthetic. The rigid, no-stretch denim features an extra relaxed leg, mid-rise fit and vintage-inspired washes designed to get better with wear. Personal touches like ‘1996’ hardware, a Hailey signature lining and a back patch make this limited-edition style a standout from the drop.

LOW-RISE FIT

Gap

The Hailey Low Rise Loose Jean

$89.95

Buy Now at Gap

Sizing ranges from 23 to 35, with a full-length hem that hits below the ankle.

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Made from rigid cotton denim with a loose, straight-leg silhouette, this full-length style sits low on the waist and offers a relaxed fit from hip to hem. The pair features five-pocket styling, a zip fly, 1996-inspired hardware and recycled cotton for a more sustainable finish.

The collection arrives at a time when oversized denim continues to dominate fashion, with relaxed silhouettes becoming a staple among celebrities and fans alike. Each pair is priced at $89 and comes in three washes, while the Low Rise Loose Jean is available exclusively online.

Adding personal touches, the jeans include custom ‘1996’ hardware honoring Bieber’s birth year and signature pocket lining details. The 100% cotton denim is designed to mimic the feel of vintage jeans that become more personalized with wear.

Missed out on the viral jeans? Gap has this similar bestselling pair on sale right now.

MID-RISE FIT

Gap

Mid Rise UltraSoft Studded Baggy Jeans

$29 $99.95 71% off

Buy Now at gap

Bestselling medium denim wash pair that’s over 70% off.

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Featuring a fitted waist and loose leg, this full-length pair is crafted from a breathable Tencel blend for a lightweight, drapey feel. The medium-wash style is finished with five-pocket details and side-seam studs for a vintage-inspired ’90s look.

Meanwhile, the launch comes after Gap’s recent collaborations with Victoria Beckham and KATSEYE, continuing the brand’s push into major entertainment partnerships. In the campaign video for the collection, Bieber highlights her longtime connection to Gap, explaining that the brand has always been part of her wardrobe. With select styles already selling out, The Hailey Jean is shaping up to be another celebrity fashion release fans want to add to their rotation.