Lea Michele has admitted she was scared about releasing her solo album.
The "Glee" star -- whose first single "Cannonball" was released last week and will be followed by her debut album "Louder" in March next year -- worried about her fans' response after becoming a recognised cover singer in her role as Rachel Berry on the hit U.S. show.
In an interview with MTV, she said: "It's really scary because this is all me. What's funny ... I was talking to my mum and she's like, 'This is the opportunity for people to really get to see you, who you are in a personal way.' And I'm excited about that because I've played a character for so long, singing these cover songs, which has been so awesome, and now I'm kind of ready to let people know who Lea Michele really is."
The stunning brunette also revealed that the album has allowed her to express her feelings about the passing of her on and off-screen boyfriend Cory Monteith -- who played Finn Hudson in the show - after he passed away from an accidental heroin and alcohol overdose in July at the age of just 31.
She said: "It's emotional and uplifting. It's empowering, and at the same time there's still those really great songs in it that are just fun and that are happy. There's still those bright lights and those shining moments within the album. It's just a really incredible, somehow, explanation of what this past year of my life has been like."
