LeAnn Rimes Wants to End the 'Shame' Around Women's Sexuality and Bodies: 'It's Time to Make a Shift'

LeAnn Rimes is embracing this time in her life — and hoping to inspire others to do the same.

"There's such a narrative around women as we age, how we can become disposable," says Rimes, who turns 40 on Aug. 28. "That narrative is slowly changing, but I believe women like myself can lead an example of how vibrant life can be. Jane Fonda is on my vision board!"

In her new album, god's work, which she wrote and co-produced (out Sept. 16), the Grammy-winning artist explores "shame and guilt and rage and anger," she says. "We go into all these emotions that we're told aren't polite."

In the song, "the wild," which features country singer Mickey Guyton and pop star Sheila E., "I explore my sexuality and the way I was raised," says Rimes, a Jackson, Mississippi native who was topping the Billboard charts by 14. "As women in this world, so much is ripped from us. I started to question all those narratives and bring my whole self back online and be whole in this world. And it feels very powerful."

For Rimes, the work has been deeply personal as well. "The last several years of my life have been about untangling from what was put upon me from the outside world," she says. "I'd been upholding a public image for so long."

And the singer — who has been wed to Eddie Cibrian since 2011 — says that when it comes to talking about topics that have been traditionally taboo, she's all for it.

"I want to talk about real things- aging and menopause and periods and sex," says Rimes. "I want to see women powerful and contributing to this world and sharing their wisdom. It's time to make a shift."

For more from LeAnn Rimes, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.