Although hats have come to be a part of his signature aesthetic, Ne-Yo has long been hiding a receding hairline underneath them. 

Few can recall a time they’ve ever seen the R&B star without a hat, and the singer has been very vocal about being self conscious of his thinning hairline.

As self love has become a major theme in 2017, Ne-Yo has decided to embrace the movement by walking confidently without head gear. 

During a recent appearance on The Today Show, he opened up about learning to embrace the skin he’s in and not hiding behind objects or accessories. 

“My hat has been my crutch for a long time. My hair started thinning… I was allowed to wear my cap in school because I got picked on so much. So after awhile, it just kinda became part of my face, to where I felt naked without it.”

Even as an adult, Ne-Yo found himself being teased about his hair (or lack thereof) by peers, and in the age of social media and memes, that’s not easy. 

Today, he credits becoming a father, marriage and overall maturity as to why he has begun to embrace his bald head.

“I told myself 2017, it’s about self-love, it’s about confidence. It’s about just living in who you are and loving it.” Now that’s a message worth spreading!