Bebe Rexha has recalled feeling powerless and "numb" before becoming an independent artist.
The 36-year-old singer has just released Dirty Blonde, her first record since leaving her long-time record label Warner Records.
In a new interview with People, Rexha revealed she's finally rediscovered her voice and is proud of the artist she's become.
"After years of feeling like I had no power, it was very hard for me to tap into the real feelings. I kind of numbed myself out," she explained.
"(I lost) some of the best years of my life... I think the most expensive currency in life is time. But you've got to move forward."
Dirty Blonde sees a return to the star's dance-pop roots, and releasing her fourth studio album as an independent artist allowed Rexha to feel "free".
"I don't like being stuck in a box," she shared.
Despite enjoying chart success following collaborations with artists such as David Guetta on I'm Good (Blue) and Florida Georgia Line for Meant to Be, Rexha often felt "insecure" and struggled to understand who she was as an artist.
However, the singer-songwriter summoned the courage to experiment with different sounds while in the recording studio for Dirty Blonde.
"I always felt kind of insecure about the fact that I did have songs like Meant to Be or dance songs with Guetta, a song (Me, Myself & I) with G-Eazy, a song (Seasons) with Dolly (Parton). There were so many different sounds," she shared.
"With (Dirty Blonde), I'm finally like, 'You know what? I'm literally writing these songs. I love writing with different people and collaborating. I'm going to just do what I want.'"
Elsewhere in the interview, Rexha claimed that before launching as an independent artist, she was rejected by major record labels for the "craziest reasons" such as being "too old".
"I could have easily just stopped. I'm most proud of not giving up," she smiled.
