Bebe Rexha says releasing her first full-length album was like "giving birth".
Bebe Rexha
The 28-year-old singer released her debut studio album 'Expectations' in June and Bebe has admitted it was a nerve-racking experience for her.
She shared: "I was really nervous. But I was excited.
"I went into a Target with my mom and we bought all the copies. That was kind of emotional for me. That was a really cool moment, you know?
"It kind of feels like you're giving birth, you know what I mean? I mean, I've never given birth before. My version of giving birth. I was having panic attacks the day before. I had cramps too."
Despite working in the music business for a number of years, Bebe only found the courage to write a solo album once she ceased caring about the perceptions of other people.
The singer - who counts the likes of P!nk, Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette among her inspirations - told Billboard: "I feel like when you start to accept yourself ... [because] for me, it was always kind of a battle - being the underdog and trying to always prove something.
"And at a certain point, I was like, 'Ah, f**k this. I'm just going to write great songs and I don't give a f**k what anybody says, and I'm just going to try to make the best music I can.' And I think that's when I was finally able to put out the album, instead of overthinking it."