If you were around in the mid-90s, you probably remember LeAnn Rimes as the twelve-year-old with the voice of a seasoned lounge singer. She was the "Blue" girl. The one who sounded exactly like Patsy Cline and made everyone wonder how a kid could have that much heartbreak in her vocal chords. But by 2007, she was tired of being the girl with just "the voice." She wanted to be the creator. That’s where nothin better to do leann rimes comes in—a song that basically nuked her "child star" image and replaced it with something way more interesting.
Honestly, it's one of those tracks that people hum without even realizing who’s singing it. It’s got this swampy, muddy-water vibe. Banjo. Acoustic guitar. A lot of attitude. It wasn’t just another country ballad. It was a statement.
What Really Happened with the Making of Nothin Better to Do
When Rimes sat down to write her album Family, she was in a weird spot. She’d been famous for over a decade but hadn't really written her own stuff yet. People in Nashville were skeptical. They always are when a "voice" tries to become a "writer."
She teamed up with her then-husband Dean Sheremet and Darrell Brown to write the track. They wanted to tap into her roots. Rimes was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but moved to Texas early on. She once told American Songwriter that they basically asked: "What would have happened if I never left Mississippi?"
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The answer? She probably would have been a hell-raiser.
The song follows this young woman who is basically the nightmare of every mother in a small town. She’s running with the boys, causing trouble, and her mom is constantly warning her that "idle hands are the devil's handwork." But she doesn't care. There’s just nothing better to do. It’s a classic small-town anthem, but with a grit that Rimes hadn't shown before.
The Chart Record Nobody Noticed
Here is something wild. When nothin better to do leann rimes hit the airwaves, it didn't just sit in one lane. Rimes became the first artist ever to have a single chart simultaneously on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, Adult Contemporary, and Dance Club Songs charts.
Think about that.
Usually, if a country song goes to the dance charts, it’s a weird fluke. But this song had such a rhythmic, percussive drive that the remixers went nuts for it. It peaked at number 14 on the country charts in December 2007, but its impact was way wider than that.
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The Music Video and that Prison Break
If the song was a shift, the music video was a full-blown transformation. This was Rimes’ directorial debut, co-directed with David McClister. She wasn't playing the "sweet girl" anymore.
The video is set in a women’s correctional facility. It’s high-energy, heavy on the choreography, and Rimes is singing into an old-school microphone while leading a prison break. It’s flashy, sure, but it also felt like she was metaphorically breaking out of the box the industry put her in.
"The name Annie Jewel is the name of Rimes' grandmother, as well as (according to Rimes) her alter ego."
She wasn't just LeAnn; she was Annie Jewel for those three minutes. The video ends with her being the only one to actually escape the building, only to have the gate slam shut right as she hits the yard. It’s a bit on the nose, but for 2007 country music, it was basically a revolution.
Why the Song Still Matters (Especially for Women in Country)
A few years ago, Ashley McBryde joined Rimes on stage for a CMT performance. McBryde is known for being one of the "tougher" voices in modern country, and she straight-up credited nothin better to do leann rimes for making her feel like country music was her home.
She said the sass in that song perfectly fit her personality. Before that, country women were often expected to be either the "heartbroken wife" or the "pious daughter." Rimes gave them a third option: the restless rebel who just wants to have a good time.
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Real-World Takeaways and Where to Go Next
If you’re a fan of Rimes or just someone who likes the history of country music evolution, there’s a lot to learn from this era of her career. It shows that you can’t just rely on a "God-given talent." You have to take control of the narrative.
Check out these specific things to get the full picture:
- Listen to the acoustic versions of the track. You can hear the banjo work much better without the radio-ready gloss.
- Watch the CMT Crossroads performance with Ashley McBryde. It shows how the song has aged—which is to say, it hasn't aged a bit.
- Look into the rest of the Family album. It was the first time she co-wrote every single track, and you can hear the confidence growing in real-time.
Next time you hear that banjo intro, remember it wasn't just a catchy tune. It was the moment a child star finally grew up on her own terms.
To fully appreciate the shift, go back and listen to "Blue" immediately followed by "Nothin' Better to Do." The vocal maturity isn't just in the tone; it's in the delivery. While "Blue" was about a girl singing about feelings she hadn't yet lived, "Nothin' Better to Do" was about a woman finally having something of her own to say.