"I took some time off to rediscover myself," she says. "Being on the road and on a tour bus for the last three years got kind of old. I wanted to stay home in a house that doesn't move. Everyone saw me as LeAnn the star and I wanted to break away from that and become myself again. I kick-boxed a lot and lifted a lot of weights. The biggest change in me is the physical change. I actually had time to concentrate on me for awhile. It takes away a lot of the aggression when you can beat up on something."

Rimes' workout regime may be part of the reason she breathes such new life into the 11 classics she covers on her new album. The disc is a bit of a throwback to her 1996 hit 'Blue', a song that was written for Patsy Cline but never recorded by the late legend. Rimes pays tribute to Cline again by covering three of her songs, and she does her utmost to stay true blue to the originals.

"I think they're amazing songs. The reason I did this album is to bring that great music back to a younger generation that never heard it before. It's also for people who have listened to it all of their lives. When I did Patsy's songs I didn't vary anything musically or vocally in any way. I couldn't do any better; Crazy is pretty well my favourite song of all time. In fact, we were going to make that the title of the album but we were worried people might see LeAnn Rimes - Crazy, and take it literally."

While nobody will accuse her of being crazy, Rimes shows she can be edgy even when she's performing standards. She co-produced the disc with her father, Wilbur, and between them they came up with several little quirks. For example, there's the congo introduction to her otherwise traditional take on 'Me And Bobby McGee', and a wicked piece of lead guitar on the Marty Robbins chestnut 'Don't Worry'. The latter suggests that Rimes hasn't abandoned the crossover success she achieved with 'How Do I Live'.

"No way am I abandoning pop," she exclaims. "'Crazy' and 'I Fall To Pieces' were actually pop hits before they were country hits. I think they're so classic that anyone who really knows music is going to be into it. We're also discussing a second half to this album that will be total pop, so I'm kind of giving everyone what they want and breaking the rules a bit. I want my career to be more about taking chances. Some people didn't get it when I did Prince's 'Purple Rain' on my last record but I think it's actually pretty cool that I took the chance to cut it."

In addition to the proposed pop effort, you'll be able to see and hear Rimes on the big screen in the not-too-distant future. She's recorded a song called 'Leaving's Not Leaving' that will be on the soundtrack of Anywhere But Here, starring Susan Sarandon. Rimes is also slated to make her own feature film debut in Emily's Song, a drama that is being likened to A Star Is Born. She will play a fictional singer in the movie, which will have "a rock and roll soundtrack that is very different from what people have heard". Uh-oh, doesn't this sound familiar?

"Yeah, I think I'll name the album Christina Gaines," she laughs. "Actually I think what Garth did was great, adopting a different persona and putting out an album by that character (The Life Of Chris Gaines). With respect to my album, I'm doing it as LeAnn Rimes. I'm not changing me but I am changing the music a little bit. That being said, I'm never leaving country music. I'll always go back to it and there will always be something for people to relate to."

One thing people may not be able to relate to is Rimes' new tattoo. Yes, in two shots in the new CD's booklet she proudly displays a wrap-around piercing just above her right ankle. The folks who bought her inspirational disc You Light Up My Life, are bound to be mortified.

"Truthfully, it's not real," she says to the collective sigh of millions. "I guess I've preserved my image a little. It was a henna tattoo that I put on for the photo shoot. It's so funny because everyone at my record company has always been so conservative with me. I was surprised that they agreed to it. I've always wanted to get a real one but I have a big fear of needles so it will probably never happen."

Rimes may be somewhat sheepish about tattoos, but she's no shrinking violet when it comes to her latest single 'Big Deal'. The song is about a girl who is angry with her best friend for throwing the guy she used to date in her face. 'Big Deal', the only "new" song on LeAnn Rimes, shows that the singer certainly has a feisty side.

"I had fun with that," she says. "The song has got very much of an attitude. I did a little bit of acting in the studio in order to try and put myself in a super-annoyed frame of mind. It was something new for me. We didn't do a video for the song because everyone jumped on the record so fast that we didn't need it."

When she has more free time, Rimes hopes to write some more songs and she would also like to set the record straight by one day penning her autobiography. There have been a number of unauthorized biographies, and lots of supermarket tabloids spreading gossip about the teen superstar. Stories like her alleged romance with tour-mate Bryan White make her laugh, especially since there is a credit on the new album to 'Andrew', who appears to be the real love of her life.

"There is someone special," she says coyly. "I try and keep that part of my life private because everyone knows everything else. It's a little mystery for myself."

Rimes will be scaling down her tour dates in 2000 to about 30 to 40 concerts in the U.S. and Europe. She also hopes to return to Canada for a few shows, as she has positive recollections from her previous visit. ("The audiences are respectful and when they love you, they stay with you") She also has recent fond memories of her performance with Faith Hill and Chely Wright as part of the 'Country Divas' portion of a huge show in Las Vegas. (Non-Diva acts included KISS, Tony Bennett and The Who) One wonders if Lady Luck followed Rimes to the slots.

"Are you kidding?" she exclaims. "I can't even play the slot machines because I'm too young. I would try to but I have the feeling that everyone would kind of know."