Ex-Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton has spoken out about the "freedom " she feels after embarking on her solo career.
Hamilton, who joined the group in 1999 alongside Liz McClarnon and Kerry Katona, performed her final show with the band on October 13, 2023.
Speaking to GB News: "I mean, with Atomic Kitten, I spent over 20 years singing somebody else's lyrics, right?
"So for me to write my own stories and my own life lessons and sing about it, it just hits differently. And it’s quite cathartic and freeing, yeah. It’s a bit like therapy.
"I was going to ask about that the difference between being in a band for so long and now going solo. That's really interesting.
"This is much more personal. There’s an emotional connection to your own lyrics.
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"Yeah, if I wrote 'Whole Again,' I would probably cry every time I sang it, even though it touches me.
"There’s that disconnect. Being a singer, you also have to be a bit of an actor because you have to portray the feelings of the song. But when it’s your own words, it just hits differently.
"It’s quite nice to be able to step forward and show people what I’ve got. I’m over 20 years into my career, and, you know, people still say today, 'Oh, I didn’t know you could sing like that.'
"I think being part of a girl band can be quite restrictive in a way that you all have to blend in and be a certain way when you sing, whereas now I can just freely perform the way I want to."
Atomic Kitten rose to prominence in the early 2000s with a string of chart-topping hits.
The group released their debut album "Right Now" in 2000, followed by "Feels So Good" in 2002, both reaching number one in the UK charts.
Their singles Whole Again, Eternal Flame and The Tide Is High all topped the singles charts.
The group experienced a resurgence when they recorded a remake of Whole Again for the 2020 Euros, titled Southgate You're the One.
Atomic Kitten rose to prominence in the early 2000s
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In her departure announcement, Hamilton expressed gratitude for her time with Atomic Kitten.
"AK was always there to pick me up and get me back on my feet, both mentally and financially," she said.
The mother-of-five explained that leaving the band was necessary "to focus on all the things that mean a lot to me."
She also plans to become a mentor at her record label.
