Lindsay's New Sound: Kylie Minogue-Meets-Rihanna

Originally posted Friday March 07, 2008 02:00 PM EST

Lindsay Lohan is seeking inspiration from two major pop stars for her upcoming album, she tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.

"I want it to be dance," she tells PEOPLE. "I want it to be kind of Kylie Minogue-meets-Rihanna. I hope to tour with it and I hope to really promote it."

Asked if any of the tracks feature lyrics that refer her past year, including her several stints in rehab and family turmoil, Lohan said Thursday night at a photo exhibit at The Atelier in New York, "I'm not sure yet – I don't know if I really want to.

"I think the past is the past and it should be kept there," Lohan added. "It's a new slate for me, and I want to show that in my new record."

But Lohan has already finished a few tracks. "I'm recording here in New York, and in L.A.," she said at Thursday’s party, sponsored by Snapple Antioxidant Water, which included shots from photographers including Gus Freedman and a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross. "I've already done three songs. I'm doing my third song in New York actually."

Lohan's first few tunes have already won rave reviews from her manager-mom Dina. "I've heard a couple of tracks," she told PEOPLE last month. "They were amazing!"

The star’s 14-year-old sister Ali is also hitting the studio to record an album – but "she's younger, so it's a different vibe," says Lindsay.

Lohan also adds that she doesn't think it's odd her sister is following in her footsteps. "She's doing what I love to do, and she loves to do it too."