Miranda Lambert’s New Album Makes Her Nervous

Miranda Lambert might be the reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year, with four No. 1 records to her credit, but that doesn't mean she is ready to rest in her success just yet. The 29-year-old is beginning to work on her fifth album, and she says she feels the pressure now more than ever.

"I freak out every time. I'm like a basket case when it's time to make a record," she tells AZ Central. "I get so nervous as to 'Is this gonna work? Is this gonna be the album that stops selling, that stops getting nominated?' I know that I can't live like that. I can't do my whole career like that. But it definitely crosses my mind."

The singer-songwriter hints that the new set of tunes will be different from her 'Four the Record' album, which includes 'Over You' and her current single, 'Mama's Broken Heart.'

"I think I'm just gonna have fun because I've been serious a lot," she notes. "I've written songs about killing people and sad songs, and I really want to do a tour that's just a lot of fun, so I want to do an album with more fun songs."

The Texas native credits her husband, Blake Shelton, with helping her look for more fun, less serious songs for her next CD. "This might sound really cheesy," Lambert says. "But I really love Blake's new record ['Based On a True Story...']. "It's fun. And I think that's one thing that got me thinking about that. He's such a fun guy. It's like he's constantly waiting, on edge, to laugh at every turn."

Diehard Miranda Lambert fans can rest easy, though. The songstress insists she has never tried to fit into a stereotypical country music mold, nor is she about to start now. "I never will," she insists. "To me, playing it safe is when it will end. I have never played it safe. I don't go into the studio going 'I'm gonna be different' or 'I'm gonna do something crazy.' I just do what I like. And if it's not safe, well, that has to be what it is. I'm always gonna do that. If I write a song I love, I cut it. It is just that simple."

Lambert will head into the studio in August to record her new album. She has a full summer schedule, including taking over dates that were originally scheduled for the Pistol Annies. See all of her upcoming shows here.