Boyz II Men are heading to Nashville, with the celebrated R&B vocal group revealing plans for a country album due in 2027.
The project has no title or release date yet, but it follows the group’s signing with Warner Records Nashville. Beyond the novelty of the genre shift, it will also be the trio’s first album in a decade, since 2017’s Under the Streetlight.
In an interview with The Tennessean, Shawn Stockman explained that the group has long admired country and decided this was the right moment to “dip our toes” into it. He said they’ve always been drawn to how country artists build stories and set them to melody, calling the process a learning experience they relish. After three decades in the industry, he said, they still see themselves as students of music who welcome new styles.
Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Wanyá Morris collaborated with several award-winning Nashville songwriters, though none were named. Stockman noted that many of the best writers work in country, and that getting into the room with them was a gift. He described Nashville as something of an oasis.
Nathan Morris pointed out that the group has experimented with other genres while keeping their R&B foundation. Their earlier country detours include a 2018 appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, a performance with Chris Stapleton at the 2021 CMT Artists of the Year special, and a team-up with Cody Johnson at Stagecoach this April.
Nathan said the shared melodies, meanings, and emotions make falling for country easy, adding that it feels like home. Wanyá echoed the sentiment, saying there’s really no divide between the two styles, since both rely on organic sounds, harmonies, and similar musical structures, feelings, and inflections.
