LeAnn Rimes wants her new festive album to recreate the “full gambit” of Christmas emotions for the listener.
The 33-year-old singer is set to release her festive record Today Is Christmas on October 16 (15).
The offering is the second time LeAnn has been inspired by the nature of the festive season as she released One Christmas: Chapter 1 in 2014.
"There is something special about the spirit of the holidays, people are inclined to be more gracious and giving," LeAnn told Billboard.
"Emotions also tend to be elevated during the holidays - whether we miss a family member no longer with us or we feel five years old again opening a gift on Christmas morning. Joy, longing, happiness, surprise; I want that full gambit of emotions to radiate from my music."
Like many Christmas records, LeAnn’s release will feature her covering many of the classic songs of the season.
But the album also includes two original songs that LeAnn co-wrote.
Today is Christmas will be LeAnn’s 16th studio album and marks her return to the music industry after a failed reality television career.
In an interview last year, LeAnn took the opportunity to reveal her opinions about today’s musical stars – blasting country music’s newer artists for being too manufactured.
“A lot of the older country music, there were these amazing stories and real feeling, and I feel a lot of that’s lost now,” LeAnn told newspaper The CantonRep. “It’s just really hard for me to tell anybody apart these days. It’s really sad.”
Other than her festive offerings, LeAnn’s last release was the 2013 record Spitfire.
While the album failed to set the charts alight, LeAnn remains proud of the offering because it represents a truer side of herself.
“My last album I feel there was such an authenticity and humanity to that record I don’t feel I’ve ever had before,” LeAnn said.
“I didn’t really know how to be authentic when I was a kid. It’s almost like things have been reversed for me. I was such an adult as a kid, and now as an adult there’s parts of me that are growing up. I feel like everything’s starting to mesh together. I’m not afraid of human emotions and sharing it.”
