LeAnn Rimes to Sing About 'Heartbreak and Love'

By Joey Bartolomeo

10/13/2009 at 05:40 PM EDT

LeAnn Rimes may not be ready to speak publicly about her love life – but singing about it is another story.

The country star, who earlier this year split with husband Dean Sheremet and began dating Eddie Cibrian, says her personal life inspired songs on her next album, which should be out in the spring.

"Most of the stuff I've written [myself], so it's definitely my life," Rimes, 27, told PEOPLE at the Yahoo! Yodel Studio in New York City's Times Square on Tuesday. She added that the subjects of the tunes are split "down the middle between heartbreak and love."

PHOTO: LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian play golf

Working on music, in fact, helps her work through issues in her life, she says. "Part of my therapy is to write," she says. "I write with a lot of my best friends, so most of [our meetings] are therapy sessions that turn into songs."

Though it's been a rough year, Rimes, who is wrapping up her tour and plans to return to the studio next month to finish recording, says, "I'm great. I'm really happy and I am enjoying being back between L.A. and Nashville. With work and my personal life, everything's good. It really is."