ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How happy are you with Small Town Girl — did it get the reaction you wanted?
KELLIE PICKLER: You can't go through life expecting to please everyone, because you're gonna be let down. You have to ultimately be happy with what you see in the mirror. Yes, the fans are the ones that keep us employed. They voted me to where I am today, and I give them so much credit. But when I had songs pitched to me, I was so worried about certain lyrics in particular songs — like, ''How is this mom gonna feel about her 5-year-old listening to this song?'' There's a lot of songs that I really liked and didn't put on the record, because I was so worried about what other people were gonna think, and I regret it.
It's funny... We were riding in the car a while back, and out of nowhere my 7-year-old brother said, ''Kellie, there's a cuss word in your song.'' And I'm sitting there thinking, What in the world is he talking about? I said, ''Honey, there is not a cuss word in 'Red High Heels.''' He said, ''It's not that one. You know which one it is.'' I'm sitting here, literally singing through my whole record... Finally I said, ''What word is it?'' And he goes ''I'm not sayin' it.'' This went on a while. And I said, ''Well, what song is it?'' And he said, ''No. 4 ['Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You']. '' And I was like, ''Ohhhhh, there's a part in there where I say the D-word.'' And he said, ''Yeah.'' Just like, I'm a little disappointed. I'm like, Okay, thanks, I guess I'm grounded now!
So you think about that kind of stuff, and you don't want to upset anyone. But I do have some regrets about some songs I didn't put on there. Maybe as I grow and make more records, my fans will grow with me and give me the chance to show certain sides of me that Idol didn't. Everything on this record is honest, every song on there I relate to, even if I didn't write it. But I do want this next one to be a complete spin around, like, ''Wow, I didn't know this about her.'' I want people to leave in shock — to think, Really? I'm all about that. I like controversy.
One thing I've seen some fans say about you on message boards is that you've gotten too glamorous now.
Too glamorous? I'm wearing jeans with holes in them! Ask anyone in this building. Glamorous? Phhhfft. I mean, tell that person thank you, that's a compliment, because I've never been called that before. Usually it's like, ''Are you sure you're not a man?'' Because I belch and fart like a man, better than any of 'em.
What kind of material are you thinking about for your next record?
I just really want to get more in-depth, how I really feel about things. This record came out last October. There's so much that's happened to me in this past year that will definitely make it on the next album that I think a lot of people will be shocked [about]. I've got one heck of a life to write about, that's for sure. I'm sure you've read the papers, and there's so much that doesn't make the papers, which is probably a good thing. And I'm sure it won't be too much longer before [the other stuff] makes it, too. It is what it is. But yeah, less filtered [on the next album]. I think I'm gonna just go in and [say], ''Here I am, this is me — the other side. The dark side!'' I'm kidding.
You'll come back with dark hair, maybe?
Gothic all the way. Voodoo dolls and all. It's funny you say that. Because I have this dark wig that I put on, auburn-colored… I've always wanted red hair. Reba McEntire — I love her hair. At shows, after I sing, I put my wig on and I change clothes, and I go out and I'm actually in the audience on the front row singing with the fans, as a fan, and I watch Brad's show. It took three shows for Brad to realize that it was me down there. Because he was like, ''God, this girl keeps coming to all the shows and she's wearing the same thing.''
You get a kick out of being in disguise?
I was at the concession stand, buying a hot dog, and I had my wig on, and the guy behind the counter was like, ''Has anyone ever told you you look like Kellie Pickler?'' And I went, ''Who? Never heard of her.'' He got [indignant], like, ''Well, she just played!'' I've even been in my sweats... This sounds really mean, I shouldn't have done this. I just wanted to go in and — I'll be honest with you — buy a box of tampons and get out of there. [Laughs] I'm back home in Albemarle, North Carolina, and the last time I was in the store, it was freakin' nuts. It was like they announced over the intercom, ''She's in aisle 3! Sic her!'' So I go in there, I have a box of tampons in one hand, and this little boy is running up to me wanting my autograph. So I signed it — on the box of tampons. This little boy is gonna have a complex! [Laughs] And then I'm starting to walk down the aisle to check out, and this lady who works there, she's like, ''Gosh, you look just like Kellie Pickler!'' I went, ''Who?'' [And] she just wrung me out: ''Well, you're in Albemarle, you should know who she is.'' I just ran and checked out and went home. I should have said yes, but I just didn't feel like it that day. Cramps and all — I'm like, just leave me alone and let me go home! That's probably the meanest I've ever been.
NEXT PAGE: ''To tell you the truth, I don't even have any panties on right now. I don't care! Let's focus on things that are important, and let people be happy.''
