It’s almost here! Miranda Lambert‘s hotly awaited fourth album, Four the Record, releases this Tuesday, 11-1-11! Miranda kicks-off her album release week with a performance on NBC’s Today show on Tuesday, followed by an interview and performance on Wednesday’s edition of Live! with Regis and Kelly. She’ll be singing Four the Record‘s first smash single, “Baggage Claim,” on both shows, and the song’s dynamic groove says a lot about Miranda’s music in general — not just her growth as an artist, but also a reflection of the range of influences that make Miranda’s brand of country distinctly her own. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

• In addition to the 14-song version of Four the Record, there’s also a limited physical Deluxe Edition (featuring a bonus song and a DVD of Miranda talking about the music). The Deluxe is also available digitally, and you can pre-order yours right , on iTunes!
• Look for a feature on Miranda in the new issue of Us, as she talks about staying fit and newlywed life with hubby Blake Shelton!

  Miranda Lambert says that she loves to grow her music, and she feels that her fans want the same thing. (:25)
“I think that my fans are craving something different from me on every record, you know, because I keep delivering something different. And I feel like it breaks up the monotony a little bit to be different, to write about different things, and it’s one reason I’m doin’ Pistol Annies, too. You know, it’s different from my own thing. I need it just as much as everybody else. I’m constantly lookin’ for new music and finding old music I didn’t know about because I want somethin’ fresh.”

  Miranda Lambert says that her music is definitely country, but her style of country can be tough to describe. (:20)
“I think I twist it all together. There’s not…because you can’t ever pin down what my music is. Nobody ever can. And, you know, it’s definitely country, I know that, but it’s got a rockin’ edge, it’s got a soft side, it’s got, you know, a vintage feel sometimes, and it’s a mixture of everything I’ve ever loved that stuck out in my mind.”

  Miranda Lambert sees her own evolution as a vocalist, and she gives husband Blake Shelton credit for helping her grow. (:42)
“You know, I think years of playin’ on the road and gettin’ used to my voice and learning my voice, and I started out as a little girl, you know — I was 19, 20 years old when Kerosene came out. And I’m 27, I’m married, about to be 28. I’ve worked that muscle, and I’ve learned about myself and about my voice and what I’m capable of, and I hope that I still keep growin’ into a better vocalist, but I also give a lot of the credit to my husband. I mean, Blake has really always said, ‘Quit sayin’ you’re not a singer,’ ’cause I would be like, ‘Oh, I’m not really a singer; I’m a songwriter/stylist.’ And he’s like, ‘You can sing. Whoever told you that, it’s in your brain, and it’s wrong.’ You know? He really encouraged me to open up and just sing. And I’ve done that.”