Country superstar Tim McGraw is embarrassed and wants to tell his fans he’s sorry for his record company releasing yet another greatest hits compilation just two years after Greatest Hits 2. McGraw has expressed his desire to leave Curb Records but they’re not so keen to let him go just yet.

In order to extent the amount of time on his contract term, Curb released the Greatest Hits 3 record without McGraw’s approval or knowledge, instead of the studio album he’s been working on for over a year. Tim says the decision is confusing and embarrassing.

“I’m saddened and disappointed that my label chose to put out another hits album instead of new music,” McGraw said. “I’ve only had one studio album since my last hits package. It has to be just as confusing to the fans as it is to me.”

The singer said he had no involvement in the creation or presentation of the record, “Greatest Hits 3.”

The 12-track disc includes McGraw hits going back to 1995 up to his current single, “Let It Go.” It also includes two tracks not previously released on any of McGraw’s albums: “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” with Tracy Lawrence and Kenny Chesney, and “Nine Lives” with the rock group Def Leppard.

“Sure I love the songs and I don’t want to take anything away from all the creative people who were part of making those records. But the whole concept is an embarrassment to me as an artist.

“In the spirit of the election year, I would simply say to my fans ‘I’m Tim McGraw and I don’t approve their message,'” he said.

[From Breitbart.com]

According to a McGraw spokesperson, this isn’t the first time the record company has done this. They released the previous compilation cds when Tim was hoping to release a studio album, as well. McGraw’s contract with Curb records is for a certain number of studio albums, of which McGraw has “one of two” left, the longer they keep him from releasing those, the longer they have him under contract. McGraw has said his intention was to release the new cd he’d been working soon, even playing the new songs in concerts. Now that will have to wait.

You always hear about the demands stars make but you never think about the demands made on them. It sucks to work somewhere that you’re not happy, and it sucks even more when that place deliberately undermines you in order to get more out of it. This would be as true to someone making millions from the sales of his music as someone mopping floors and cleaning toilets at 7-Eleven. Either way, you’d want out.

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and their three daughters, Gracie, 11, Maggie, 9, and Audrey, 6, are shown out in LA with some other children on 6/30/08. Credit: Fame Pictures and WENN