Rebecca Ferguson ditched major music labels so she could see “exactly” what she was earning.
The former X Factor star, 40, has spoken about how she has had a turbulent relationship with the music business, but says she now feels able to express herself as an independent artist.
Rebecca told the Daily Star Sunday: “I really wanted to know exactly what I was earning, rather than just get a paycheque and not know how much has gone to other people.
“I wanted to have control over everything because I’ve never really had control over anything.
“But I am 37 now and have been in this industry for 13 years, so it feels like the right time.”
Rebecca’s latest album ‘Heaven Part II’ comes a few years after she threatened to retire from music.
She said about deciding not to quit: “In hindsight, I think I just needed to free myself from everything that I had been through.
“I have realised that you can have a good relationship with music and the music industry. You just need to surround yourself with good people, and being independent and in control I feel much more positive about my career.
“I was tainted by the industry – this album is about me saying who I am as an artist.”
Rebecca added about the ‘Found my Voice’ track on her new album: “It’s about speaking out about the industry but it is also about finding my voice as a woman.
“I have learned it’s OK to have an opinion and it’s OK if people don’t agree with it.”