LeAnn Rimes thinks modern country singers need to write more from the heart.

The singer went back to her roots for ‘Lady and Gentlemen’ – which saw her cover country tracks originally voiced by men – and chose older songs, as she feels modern artists concentrate too hard on trying to catchy hits.

She told tasteofcountry.com: “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 and that doesn’t really happen anymore because everyone is trying to focus on making a hit record and 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.”

The ‘Can’t Fight the Moonlight’ singer feels invigorated by her last project, and compares the way she is planning to make further albums on, to making films.

She added: “I’m kind of making movies now, not just albums, which is really fun. It’s a complete vision, and I know where I want to go. That’s the exciting part. It’s a complete rebirth.”

LeAnn is planning to release five new tracks at the beginning of next year, although she has yet to confirm what format they will appear in.