Kellie Pickler is channeling one of her musical idols with yet another bold new hairdo. She now has a side-parted short crop that curves sweetly at the jawline, a la Lorrie Morgan.

"I remember being in love with Lorrie Morgan's hairstyles growing up," Kellie tells PEOPLE magazine. "I've always thought she was beautiful and confident. Having short hair makes me feel like I set myself apart (style wise) from the other women in country music."

See a photo of Kellie's new hairstyle here.

Even though she loves her new look, Kellie had to cut her hair out of necessity, after noticing while on her recent USO tour signs of severe hair damage ... the result of dying her platinum hair red back in November, and then back to blonde again just a few weeks later.

"My hair started falling out!" she explains. "It was so damaged, I looked like a scarecrow, so I chopped it off! I had two choices -- look like a scarecrow or cut it."

Kellie made the cut, and feels good about her new look. But how about her boyfriend, songwriter Kyle Jacobs? What does he think about his girlfriend's bold new Lorrie Morgan look?

"Kyle could care less -- he'd love me if I was bald, and vice-versa," Kellie points out with a bright smile. "What he and I have is very special. Unconditional. God blessed me with a good man."

Kellie's third album is being produced by Frank Liddell -- husband to Lee Ann Womack and producer for several of country's biggest names, including Kellie, Miranda Lambert and Jack Ingram. Kellie also will be joining Taylor Swift out on the road again in February for the 2010 leg of Taylor's record-smashing Fearless tour.