LeAnn Rimes is already hard at work on her last contractually obligated album for Curb Records, the label the 29-year-old has called home since she was 11 years old. Despite Tim McGraw's legal action against the Nashville-based label, the 'Give' singer says she holds no animosity towards the label, despite her own past quarrels with Curb.

"I don't believe it's productive to go around and badmouth anyone that I work with, because at the end of the day, we all have to sit in front of each other and agree or disagree," LeAnn tells the Tennessean. "I have great respect for everyone who works there. But the great thing is that no matter how the business is or how we agree or disagree on how things are promoted, I'm proud of the product that I made, and as long as I keep making good music, that's the most important thing to me. And I'm incredibly proud of this record."

LeAnn does admit 'Lady and Gentlemen,' her most recent project of country classics, gave her a much needed perspective on the business. "What I thought was just a conversation that we were going to make a record to fulfill a deal, at the end of the day turned out to be a turning point in my life and my career and the way I view music again," says LeAnn. "I was at a very vulnerable time in my life, and even though they weren't my words, I could relate to all of them because all of these men wrote about what they were living. That doesn't really happen anymore because everyone is trying to focus on making a hit record; it can be very stale. I totally believe the reason why I did this record now is to see where I want to go in the future."

LeAnn was so moved by the material on 'Lady and Gentlemen,' it has driven her to create her next album with that classic country sound in mind. The singer says she has scrapped and re-evaluated a majority of the original studio recordings she did before the 'Lady' release. With five songs now complete, LeAnn expects a summer 2012 release date on the new album.

"If this kind of country music was still played, this is all I would do," LeAnn told The Boot this fall, happy with the critical praise for 'Lady and Gentlemen.' "I find myself wanting to write this kind of music and maybe making a record that's similar to the style, but my own material. Maybe we're bringing it back! There's a huge misconception about me, because of the crossover hits that I've had ... but this is where my heart lies and always has."

Music isn't the only creative outlet fans can expect LeAnn to explore in the new year. "I'm making movies now, not just albums, which is really fun," says the singer. "It's a complete vision, and I know where I want to go. That's the exciting part. It's a complete rebirth."

Watch LeAnn's 'Give' Video

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