Nelly is fresh off of the release of his Heartland EP but he’s already working on its follow-up — this time, with a twist. While the hook for Heartland was its collection of collaborations with standout country acts including Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Jimmie Allen, and Kane Brown, the next installment in the Heartland series will see him collaborate exclusively with women.
“This album here, we’re looking at the first part of a two-part series,” Nelly explained in an interview with Country Now. “If you look at this one, there is no female representation on this album. So, part one was me with the guys, and part two will be with the ladies of country music.”
While he doesn’t mention specific artists, he does point out the impact and growth women have seen within the genre recently. “The women of country, they are fierce,” he said. “When I am with the guys, we are kegging, beering, trucking, smoking, and hanging out. I’m going to have to bring my A-game pretty much when it comes to dealing with the ladies because they are not going to play around with Nelly. They are going to bring it, and I am definitely looking forward to it.”
To ensure an authentic vibe, Nelly said he’s looking to collaborate in person at a property in Nashville. “I am real estate hunting in Nashville,” he admitted. “I think I’m more of a downtown Nashville kind of guy. I wouldn’t mind taking up a whole floor of one of the buildings somewhere.” He expects the project to take a while to finish due to safety protocols but is eager to get started. “I know we’re still trying to get around the [health] issue, and everybody’s still trying to make sure that we are all respecting one another and it’s safety first,” he noted. “If it weren’t for that, I would be in Nashville right now trying to cram it out.”
You can read the full profile on Nelly in Country Now here.
