Kelly Clarkson on how she took her 'power back' after divorce from ex Brandon Blackstock

Kelly Clarkson credits her latest studio album, "Chemistry," for helping her get through her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.

In an exclusive interview with People, Clarkson said her breakup album, which is nominated for a Grammy, helped her heal as she went through a great deal of emotions after she and Blackstock parted ways in 2020.

"When I started writing it, I didn’t see it other than: This is my outlet. I’m a let-go person; I don’t hold grudges. So it was really delving into what happened in my life and why — and what am I going to do about it?" she said.

"I cannot express how appreciative I feel for having that kind of healthy outlet. Because the level of depression and things that come with divorce or grieving is extraordinarily hard," Clarkson continued. "You feel alone, and it’s just a blessing to be able to have that outlet for those emotions that are overwhelming. And then putting it out there is like, 'I’m taking my power back.' That sounds very therapy, but that's because I love therapy, and I think it's important to have those tools to navigate your life and relationships."

Clarkson is now co-parenting her two young kids, River and Remington, with Blackstock. As a single mom, Clarkson said she is not dating anyone and is having a "good time" being by herself.

"Dating sucks. It’s so awkward. I was single until I was, like, 30, and I forgot how really good at that I am," she said.

If there ever comes a time when Clarkson takes another partner, she said she would like them to bring "their own life to the table without needing anything from me."

"It’s far more romantic to say, 'I want you, but I don’t need anything,'" she said.

As for her stance on love, that hasn't changed since the divorce.

"I’ve always known that love is hard. For me, love has always come with this elephant in the room of sadness. I’ve known love is not forever," she said. "I don’t mean that to sound depressing, but I think we put a lot of pressure on that word. Sometimes love is looking at someone and going, 'This is not good for you. This is not good for me.' That’s a hard thing to face. But when you do, I think you grow."

Clarkson notes that she's not interested in marrying again. Although she said she knows that anything can happen in the future, she said she would at least like her kids to be older before anything like that happens.

"For my kids, I definitely would never even think about it until they’re out of my house," she said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com