AceShowbiz - Rebecca Ferguson left major music labels so she could see "exactly" what she was earning. The former "The X Factor" star, 40, has talked 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 paycheque and not know how much has gone to other people," Rebecca told the Daily Star Sunday.

"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."