Kelly Rowland on new song 'Crown,' Normani's power and overcoming self-doubt (Exclusive)

Kelly Rowland has gotten to a point in her career where she simply wants to have fun and inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

The former Destiny's Child member dropped her latest single, "Crown," which she recorded in collaboration with Dove, along with a music video directed by the most in-demand director in the business, Hannah Lux Davis.

"Now I just want to make music that I’m having fun with," Rowland told AOL exclusively. "If I feel it in some sort of way, someone else is going to feel it."

During an in-depth conversation with AOL's Gibson Johns, Kelly Rowland opened up about her latest material, including "Crown" and previous song, "Kelly," her own journey to self-acceptance and the new generation of artists that she's so excited about, including Normani and SZA.

Check out our full interview with Kelly Rowland below:

You're dropping a new song called "Crown," in collaboration with Dove, and its message feels very much in line for everything that you stand for when it comes to representation, embracing individuality and empowering women.

I was really excited when I heard about the campaign surrounding hair and having women celebrate their hair, no matter what color or texture or type. It reminded me immediately of the little Kelly, who went through a lot of stuff as a kid with her own hair. To be able to partner with a big brand like Dove and for them to give me the freedom to be able to write the song and have the opportunity to instill confidence in these young girls has been amazing.

It’s so important to let them know that they don’t have to stand for other people setting a standard of what hair beauty is. The actually dictate it. It puts them in a position where they embrace their own and embrace others’ beauty as well. I love what it represents, so to be able to call it "Crown" actually came from my mother. When I was in the studio, they said they wanted the song to celebrate hair, but I didn’t want to just say "hair," so I thought about what my mom said: "Baby, your hair is your crown and glory." So I was like, it’s going to be "Crown," and it went from there.

Was that a message that your mother instilled in you from a young age?

It was something that she told me, yeah. I remember she said that, because she had a beautiful thick crown on her head, and I always took it with me.

You mentioned little Kelly's struggle to embrace her hair. Talk to me more about that -- was there a moment that you were able to accept your hair, or was it more of a gradual change?

It was when Tina [Knowles], Bey’s mom, cut my hair short for the very first Destiny’s Child album. I remember feeling like I was the sassiest, flyest thing ever, because I looked like me. Everybody had these different styles in the group and everybody could tell us apart, and that made me so happy. It’s like, "That’s Kelly, the one with the short hair!"

It became one of your defining characteristics.

Exactly. I think that that’s the dialogue that we have to start creating for girls to allow them to be excited about it.

And, as you proved, you don't have to be defined by your hairstyle, either -- you can change it up, as you've done throughout your career.

You don’t have to be defined by it! There have been so many artists that have loved to express their freedom in their hair. Kelis sticks out, India Arie wrote a song called “I Am Not My Hair,” Eryka Badu is always changing up her hair. Gaga is also always changing her hair. It just goes to show that you can have fun with it, and I want girls to see that and have fun with their crowns.

In the music video for "Crown," which was directed by Hannah Lux Davis, it looks like girls that appear in it with you really fed off of your energy and gained confidence simply by being a part of this project. What was it like filming the video?

Hannah is so bomb. Let’s give her her credit! But it was also interesting to watch the girls be shy at first and then watch them come out of their shells. There was this one scene where we’re dancing with our arms up, and I had to start off the dance, but then I was like, "Alright, Faith: Your turn!" I put them on the spot and then they would just have fun. Everybody is so sensitive these days, and I get it, but let's be silly! I think we’re forgetting to be silly. There was an era where silly was still expressed in the ‘90s. It was okay, and it’s a trend that needs to come back.

"Crown" comes about a month and a half after you surprise dropped your latest song, "Kelly." What was the concept behind that song? What else can fans expect from you when it comes to your music this year?

[It's about] just letting my giant out. Yeah. There’s more to come. That’s all I can say. I want to say so much -- you have no idea. It’s just spilling from my lips. I’m so ready to release new music -- you have no idea!

When you drop a song, do you monitor reaction to it online?

No, you just do it because you love it. That’s been lost -- or at least for me that was lost at one point in time. Now I just want to make music that I’m having fun with and if I feel it in some sort of way, someone else is going to feel it. At one point in time, I remember looking at charts and paying attention to everything, but at this point I’ve noticed that artists are sharing music because it’s on their hearts. For a second -- I can’t front -- I forgot that. Watching Khalid and H.E.R. just dropping music is amazing. It proves that it works. People take things in so quickly now that you just have to stay on top of it. That’s exactly what I’m doing, as well.

Without worrying about chart performance or reception?

Don’t get it twisted, if I get another No. 1 or award ... we want that. [Laughs] But the reward for it can be different now.

What do fans say when they come up to you? Do they tell you that you've inspired them in any particular way?

Some girls just left and one of them is chocolate-coated like myself and she said, "I just want to tell you that I really appreciate you embracing your skin and being comfortable, because it made me comfortable in mine." That just makes me feel amazing, because there are so many times where I was told that I was too dark to do something. That’s bull, and it was people who were close to you sometimes, which leaves you shocked. You also learn to switch those people out and keep it moving, because obviously they don’t see your vision.

And by you doing those things and sticking up for yourself, you're fighting a fight for people that are coming after you. You're a trailblazer for so many artists following in your footsteps.

Exactly. Normani was so sweet in that Billboard interview. I was so thankful to her. She’s such a sweet Texas soul and she’s chocolate like me and representing for a newer generation. We have to continue to make sure that it’s us, it’s SZA, it’s Janelle Monae. There are so many beautiful brown girls that have to be celebrated like everybody else. Sometimes people pick and choose which one, and that can cause friction and competition. That’s not what this is: We’re all shining on our own.

I've noticed that younger artists are also actively pushing against that by supporting one another's music, especially young female artists.

Absolutely. You have Teyana Taylor throwing “Fade” wide open and Normani throwing her leg behind her head -- just show me how to do it, honey! Everybody has their space and there's room for everybody. I don’t want society to continue to do that to black women, period, and I don’t want us to fall for it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.