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LeAnn Rimes Admires Britney Spears: ‘It’s Amazing What She’s Overcome’

By Chanel Adams
Published on: 03:58 PST, Aug 19, 2016

LeAnn Rimes says she can relate to Britney Spears and her tragic downfall in 2007. She admits that she has been there herself and has become a tabloid target in the past few years.

In a recent interview with Metro, cited by Noisey, Leann Rimes got candid and discussed growing up in the public eye and the struggles that come along with it. Rimes referred to Britney Spears and her 2007 breakdown. Rimes, 33, admitted that she had “been in those shoes too,” even though she didn’t have a mob of paparazzi tracking her every move and she didn’t shave her head, there were times when she also wanted to give up.

“I totally understand it,” she said to the British publication. “I didn’t go there, but I definitely had the feeling of it I’m sure at some point.”

On August 29, one day after her 30th birthday, she voluntarily checked into rehab for stress and anxiety. In a candid 20/20 interview with Katie Couric, cited by E! News, she revealed that the backlash for her affair with Eddie, combined with the need to feel comfortable in her skin outside of LeAnn Rimes the Grammy Award-winning country music star, led to her stay in rehab.

Both LeAnn and Britney are making a comeback once again and now she couldn’t be happier for the pop star.

“I look at her and think it’s really amazing what she’s overcome. It’s nice to see someone come out on the other side and be successful again.”

Much like Spears, Rimes started her music career at a young age. She released her first single, “Blue,” at the age of 13, while Spears dropped her debut single “…Baby One More Time” at the young age of 16. Rimes admitted that she “didn’t have a childhood” since she struggled to find her own identity.

“I really didn’t have a childhood. Parts of me still needed to develop and grow into this woman I am. You could never figure out who you were because there were so many other opinions. I don’t recommend it to anyone, let’s put it that way.”

Britney has made her comeback by opening the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. She also released her hot new song “Make Me” off her ninth studio album, Glory. Britney has secured another successful comeback by releasing a sexy music video and some sizzling new tracks along with it. LeAnn, on the other hand, wants to start fresh where she can have control of her music on her own label.

According to a report on Star2.com, the country star says that her upcoming album is a lot more spontaneous and organic that her last album, Spitfire, calling her new work “soul-based.” Don’t expect to hear songs like “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” or “Life Goes On.” Leann said in another interview in London that Remnants, the first album on her new label RCA UK, will be different in sound and style.

“On my last record… we definitely knew the story we were writing song by song and it was very much in the moment of heartache and chaos. And this one, this time around, is just coming from a completely different place. And not until we finalized the record we see this amazing arc that we had written and created and it’s a beautiful record. It’s really soul-based.”

Rimes, who cites soul and gospel as her biggest music influences growing up, said that she looked to her husband, Eddie Cibrian, and his three step-children for musical feedback, as well as her “internal cues.” Rimes also addressed the current state of country music where “bro country” has taken over and male counterparts are more successful.

“We have this other passion. Even though men can bring passion to a song it’s just a different thing,” she said.

LeAnn Rimes’ new album, Remnants, will be released on October 28, but it will hit the UK market before it arrives to the U.S. Stay tuned for more information.

[Photos by David Becker/Getty Images and Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images]

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