New music is on the way from LeAnn Rimes this month, as the singer has unveiled her LovE Sessions, where each Friday she will release a cover of one of her favorite love songs. Today, Feb. 7, Billboard has the exclusive reveal of Rimes’ stirring interpretation of Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me.”
Rimes’ stripped down version has the singer seated at the piano at her Los Angeles home beside producer/manager Darrell Brown as she delicately belts the song's empowering message. “Lose You to Love Me” was initially written by Gomez, Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter, and Rimes says she instantly connected to it.
“‘Lose You to Love Me’ is such a beautifully written, honest portrayal of a woman putting her heart first and the drastic process in which one sometimes has to go through in order to heal from a broken heart,” Rimes tells Billboard. “It’s the kind of beautiful ballad you don’t hear very much in pop music anymore.”
Several more covers will be released by Rimes later this month, including a song “that had a big moment at the Grammys this year,” as well as one of her favorite Bon Iver songs. “It’s raw and real and sometimes completely off the cuff," she says about her new series. "We usually go live for one song. I am playing two shows at the legendary Gruene Hall this Valentine’s Day weekend, so we will most likely go live from there on a song."
Rimes’ says the idea for LovE Sessions came to her a few years back. Well known for her own love songs, the country singer admits there are so many other love songs out there to cover.
“It’s basically a way to have fun with music. Love is a big topic to cover, and not everyone is in a relationship with a lover, so we cover all bases, from falling in love to heartbreak,” she says. “We keep it super simple, filming it in our house. My husband has an incredible eye, so we wrangle him in to film it all. Darrell Brown, my dear friend and creative partner, plays piano. We usually learn and arrange the song right before we film, so what you’re getting is very raw and real.”
While Rimes is in the midst of her LovE Sessions this month, she promises brand new music of her own is on the way. “We are writing and recording as we speak,” she says. “This next round of music for me is super intentional when it comes to what I want to put out into the world and the message and sound I want to contribute to the collective consciousness, so I am taking my time as I experiment with new ways of creating.”
Listen to Rimes’ cover of Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me” below.