“I hear that it’s the best time of your life,” he says. “So I’m getting prepared for my 50s.”

And based on Tim’s accomplishments of late, he has no reason to be anxious about that half-century mark. He’s in arguably the best physical shape of his life; he’s got three wonderful daughters with wife Faith Hill; and he’s just put out a strong new album, Two Lanes of Freedom, for a brand-new label.

It’s his 12th studio album in a recording career that has stayed strong and grown stronger since his debut 20 years ago.

Does he feel that Two Lanes is actually his best album to date? “I think so,” he says, adding, “I think I always feel that way. I look at every album as a progression from the last album.”

On top of everything else — including a headlining summer tour that kicked off earlier this month – he’s the subject of a television special airing this Sunday on CBS. Titled Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night, it’s a two-hour concert extravaganza featuring Tim performing alongside such guests as John Fogerty,  Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, The Band Perry, Jason Aldean, his wife Faith, and ACM Entertainer of the Year winner Luke Bryan.

The show features a series of collaborations, too, including Florida Georgia Line with Nelly, and McGraw performing with Pitbull and Ne-Yo.

“I love singing with Ne-Yo,” McGraw tells Gayle King. “He’s made me a better singer.”

His collaboration on the song “Highway Don’t Care” with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban was something different, too.

Read more about Tim McGraw on Radio.com

“I’m super-respectful of his pedigree,” Nettles says of Rubin, who has worked with such artists as Johnny Cash, The Band Perry, Neil Diamond, the Dixie Chicks, the Beastie Boys, Slayer and Tom Petty. “I still get nervous around him, in a kind of a music-crush way.”

I am absolutely thrilled and wholly proud to be working with Rick Rubin on my new solo album! budurl.com/mq8g

— Jennifer Nettles (@JenniferNettles) May 17, 2013

The album, Nettles’ first without her Sugarland partner Kristian Bush, has no official release date yet, or even a title, but according to Rolling Stone it is due sometime this fall.

“This album is different than what I’ve done before,” Nettles told Rolling Stone. “What I do with Sugarland, primarily it’s stuff that starts with me and Kristian [Bush, Sugarland co-founder] writing together. It’s fun to play with that masculine energy, but for this I wanted to do something really personal – more intimate and emotional.”

While she is writing songs on her own this time (as well as working with the likes of Butch Walker and Sara Bareilles), she also says that the new music “won’t be a shock or surprise to a Sugarland fan.” At the same time, though, “hopefully it will bring in new listeners, too.”

The recordings so far have taken place not in Nashville but at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California, with such rock-oriented musicians as Ian McLagan, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, bassist Jason Lader, Matt Sweeney, and guitarist Smokey Hormel.

Read more on Radio.com

These days, she’s also living life with cameras around her at all times. As she explained to Charlotte station The New 103.7, ”I am doing a docu-series. It’s less dramatic than a reality show, and it’s gonna be on CMT around September.”

The show will follow Cassadee on her journey from The Voice through the following months of recording, radio tours, and her debut as opening act on Rascal Flatts‘ upcoming summer tour. “I want to show the fans the nitty gritty of [making music].”

Part of her journey includes another hurdle: Winning over the country world after jumping in from the punk-pop world. She had been a member of the band Hey Monday since 2008, but on The Voice she won over fans and mentor Blake Shelton with a series of country songs, including a cover of Miranda Lambert’s “Over You.”

“People are a little hesitant,” Cassadee says of her transition to country, “but for the most part I think, on the show, I proved to a lot of people that as long as you’re real, you’re genuine and you’re singing songs you connect with, then no matter what genre people will embrace you.”

Read more on Radio.com

Singer Keith Urban says he would like to return as a judge on “American Idol” for a second season.  His fellow panelist Randy Jackson recently announced he will not return next season, while Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey reportedly are exiting the show to focus on their own recording careers.  Asked at a press conference this week if he would like to return to the judge’s chair next season, Urban replied: “I would. I mean, I literally enjoy coming to work every day, and that’s a rarity,” People.com reported.  “I joined an ensemble like this in the same way I joined a band,” Urban said. “I like being in a team and I felt that immediately, with [host Ryan Seacrest] and Randy, particularly.”

That was fast:

As Jodi Arias awaits her fate, the TV movie about her case is getting a premiere date.  Lifetime has announced June 22nd for the premiere of “Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret.”

The biopic stars “Lost” actress Tania Raymonde as the California woman convicted last week for the brutal murder of her on-again-off-again boyfriend Travis Alexander in Arizona in 2008.  Actor Jesse Lee Soffer of “The Mob Doctor” fame will play Alexander, while former “Ugly Betty” actor Tony Plana plays prosecutor Juan Martinez.

On this episode of “The Skinny” Kelli and Hannah give you the latest news from the week including:

Pistol Annies Perform Surprise Show in San Diego

Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Brett Eldridge Will Release New Albums

Kelli Pickler and Trace Adkins in TV Show Season Finales

Seriously: Fan Swims Two Miles For Taylor Swift Just To Get Arrested

To See more episodes of “The Skinny” go to http://kfrog.cbslocal.com/video/

This week’s episode is brought to you by Dr. Troy Andreasen. Visit him online at http://www.inlandbreastandbody.com.

Kelli: https://twitter.com/#!/KelliGreenKFrog

Heather: https://twitter.com/KFRGHeather

Today’s Bonus Code of the Day is:

Boys

Click here to enter today’s Bonus Code and earn 200 K-FROG Country Club Points good for prizes and incentives for being a loyal listener! Not a member, click here to join today!

“I don’t feel old enough to have kids,” she explains. “I know I am mature. But being responsible for another human?”

And who can blame her. The Oklahoma native’s rise to stardom began in 2005, after winning the fourth season of American Idol, and she’s been busy recording and touring ever since. She’s released four albums, had 16 Number One singles, five GRAMMYs, and a dizzying number of other awards from the Academy of Country Music and other organizations. Her latest album Blown Away is considered her most ambitious project yet.

Fellow country star Brad Paisley sums up her talent pretty simply in the magazine profile. “She’s the best female singer we’ve had in our format maybe ever.”

But the beginnings of fame weren’t easy for Carrie. She goes on to say that she used to have panic attacks, and that all the attention was hard to process. “People were touching me, screaming – it made me really nervous.”

People who know her say Carrie has never been very outgoing. Even her own mother agrees. “She was never really a people person. She liked being outside with animals.”

Carrie admits that opening up to others isn’t her strong suit. “I’m probably not great at talking or understanding emotional things. I’ll totally listen. But I won’t have a lot of advice to give. I’m bad at calling to check in, the long conversation. But in the ways that really matter, I’m there. I would donate a kidney.”

Her husband Mike Fisher, a center for the Nashville Predators hockey team, whom she married in 2010, calls her ” the queen of awkward moments.” But he also admires her honesty, “she doesn’t know how to hide her feelings.” And Carrie describes her hubby as “Mr. Nicest Guy on the Planet.”

The June issue of Marie Claire is on newsstands May 21.

- Rachel Ayres, KMPS/Seattle

LINKEDIN BANS PROSTITUTION

The career networking website, LinkedIn is cracking down on types of professions. LinkedIn is banning users in the “escort” and “prostitution” profession. Even if the user is in a state where those career choices are lawful, they will still be banned. The company didn’t give a reason for the ban.

NERD RIOT

Police were called to break up a fight that broke out at the Star Wars Convention at the University of East Anglia in Great Britain. The fight turned into a riot of Dr. Who fans against costumed fans of Star Wars.