Tim McGraw graces the cover of the next issue of Billboard, out January 19th. Inside, Tim discusses his new album Two Lanes of Freedom, the next phase of his career and his break from Curb. He says of his former label, “They hurt my career. I felt like I was at the top of my game, and to not be able to get to the places I wanted to be...it was really hard to sit back, with me being competitive.”

Dishing on his new music, he says, “I hear hits every day. I pass on songs all the time that I know are hits. But I don’t want to just do hits.” He explains that he may have to commit to the material for the next 20 years. Read a preview of the cover story on Billboard.com.