Rebecca Ferguson ditched major music labels so she could see “exactly” what she was earning.
The former X Factor star 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.
“I really wanted to know exactly what I was earning, rather than just get a paycheck and not know how much has gone to other people,” Ferguson told the Daily Star Sunday.
“I wanted to have control over everything because I’ve never really had control over anything,” the singer said. “But I am 37 now and have been in this industry for 13 years, so it feels like the right time.”
Her latest album, Heaven Part II, comes a few years after she threatened to retire from music.
“In hindsight, I think I just needed to free myself from everything that I had been through,” she said about her decision to not quit.
“I have realized that you can have a good relationship with music and the music industry,” Ferguson stated. “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,” she continued.
“It’s about speaking out about the industry but it is also about finding my voice as a woman,” Ferguson added about the “Found my Voice” track on her new album.
“I have learned it’s okay to have an opinion,” she said. “And it’s okay if people don’t agree with it.”
