Cheryl Fernandez-Versini
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini says that she took some time away from music because she had to rediscover her fire and her passion.
Fernandez-Versini has returned with her new album Only Human - which is her fourth studio record and her first since A Million Lights two years ago.
And she admits that she needed to take some time away after her split with husband Ashley Cole and problems with the X Factor USA, to get her love of music back.
Speaking to Marie Claire, the singer said: "Honest. My gut instinct was like, 'It's enough'. For the first time since I wanted to be a pop star, I didn't have any fire in my belly.
"Without realising it, I had gone to a dark place, I needed to have a reality check and get some real feelings back."
Crazy Stupid Love was the first single to be lifted off the new album, and saw Cheryl team up with Tinie Tempah - the record went to be Fernandez-Versini’s fourth number one UK single.
2014 has already been a busy years for Cheryl as she has wed for the second time - marrying Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini earlier this year - and making her return to the X-Factor.
Cheryl has returned as a judge on the hit show alongside Simon Cowell. Louis Walsh, and Mel B, and is mentoring the girls category this time around. Cheryl has already won the competition twice with Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry.
While it has been a successful year for Fernandez-Versini, she is still feeling some frustration about her new surname. Cheryl took her new husband’s name earlier this year, but says that people are ‘ignorant’ about it.
She continued: "It's come quite naturally, you know. People are so ignorant, they just start calling us Cheryl, but I'll take that, whatever."
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