NEW YORK -- Leave it to a country singer to compare the breakup of his marriage to losing a big-screen TV.

Kenny Chesney told Life magazine that breaking up with Renee Zellweger was "like opening the door to your house and having someone come in and take your big-screen TV off the wall during the big game, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Chesney said his music has helped him deal with the breakup of his brief marriage to the "Bridget Jones" actress.

"It's like medicine -- and obviously I need that now," the 37-year-old country singer told the magazine in an upcoming issue.

His new album, "The Road and the Radio," is set for release Nov. 8.

Zellweger filed for an annulment in September. The couple married in a surprise Caribbean island ceremony in May after first meeting in January.

Chesney told the magazine he has learned that he needs to be more patient. "`I need it all and I need it now' was my mentality before. I used to rush everything to get it done."

Including marriage?

"What was that old song: 'We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout,"' Chesney replied.

Zellweger is known for her roles in such films as "Jerry Maguire," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Chicago."

She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in "Cold Mountain" in 2004.

Kenny Chesney is on fire this year. He is the reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year, and his CD "When the Sun Goes Down" was named album of the year.

It was the first time either of them had been married.