After much consideration, Terri Clark has passed on the opportunity to pose nude for Playboy. "On one hand, that felt terribly empowering for me as a woman, as a symbol of every woman who's not a size 2 or 4," the country artist says in a statement about the offer to appear on the cover of the magazine's May music issue.

"In the end, I think of all the young girls who come to my shows," she continues. "I worry about the signal it sends to them at a time when it seems like sex is a fast-track to media attention ... If I'm sexy enough for Playboy to want me with my clothes on, then I hope the message can be that sexy is about what's between your ears, in your heart and your smile.

"Besides, as Playboys go, I've always been more partial to Bob Wills' band," she quips.

Having just finished an Australian tour, Clark will kick off a North American tour Friday (Feb. 13) with the first of two shows in Red Wing, Mich. Her official Web site lists dates scheduled through the end of August.

Clark is touring in support of her latest Mercury album, "Pain To Kill." Released a year ago, the set peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Top County Albums chart. It has sold 238,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. The latest single from the set, "I Wanna Do It All," peaked last month at No. 4 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks tally.