SINGER CHLOE BAILEY Finding My Own Way

AFTER CATAPULTING TO SUCCESS IN THE SISTER DUO CHLOE X HALLE, THE MUSICIAN IS SHINING SOLO AND LEARNING TO ACCEPT HER IMPERFECTIONS 

- JACK IRVIN

She oozes confidence onstage, but singer Chloe Bailey admits all is not always what it seems under the spotlight. Her mantra: Fake it until you make it. "All of those self-doubts come in my head," she says of her preperformance jitters. "I'm like, Nobody's going to be out there. No one's going to know the words.' My legs feel like noodles."

As Chloe carves out a solo career outside of the Beyoncé-backed sister act Chloe x Halle, she's realizing that being vulnerable can be a sign of strength. "A lot of times we feel like something's wrong with ourselves because we're comparing our broken sides to everyone's facade of perfection," says Chloe, 24, who became famous singing alongside her younger sister Halle, 23. "We all have our struggles, and it's important to vocalize that so other people don't feel alone." That's what she does on her debut solo album, In Pieces, which was largely inspired by her struggles with self-doubt. "It's the most raw piece of work I've ever done. The past two years emotionally and mentally were the hardest I've ever gone through," she says. "Creating music healed me."