Bebe Rexha Is Playing By Her Own Rules Now

AFTER PARTING WAYS WITH HER MUSIC LABEL, THE POP STAR FOUND FREEDOM BY TAKING RISKS & TELLING IT LIKE IT IS

- JACK IRVIN

BACK IN CONTROL "It was time to make a change," Rexha (in February) says of becoming an independent artist after "years of feeling stuck and misunderstood."

Bebe Rexha has always kept it real. Unfiltered as ever, the pop star is gesticulating with foil-covered fingertips as she passionately discusses her recent career reset over a Zoom from her L.A. home. Since leaving her longtime record label in 2025 to become an independent artist, Rexha has been reclaiming her voice. “After years of feeling like I had no power, it was very hard for me to tap into the real feelings. I kind of numbed myself out,” says Rexha, 36. She felt she was creatively smothered and had lost “some of the best years of my life” because of her last record deal. “I think the most expensive currency in life is time,” she notes. “But you’ve got to move forward.”

The Grammy-nominated star is doing just that with her fourth album, Dirty Blonde (out June 12), an electrifying return to her dance-pop roots that showcases her vulnerable lyricism. “I felt free,” she says of making music on her terms for the 13-track visual album. “I don’t like being stuck in a box.”