Ahead of the Sept. 11 release of her new studio album, I Am, GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Leona Lewis visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview. Lewis discussed her childhood captivation with singing and learning lyrics, how change inspired I Am and the creative process she undertook, among other topics.

"There's a huge influence [on I Am] from the things that I've been going through the past few years. Different things in my relationships, personal life, work relationships — [there's] been so much change that has happened," said Lewis. "Change is scary and … having music to express that is so important. It saves me every day."

After winning the third season of the U.K.'s "The X Factor," Lewis released her debut album, 2007's Spirit. Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 the album featured the international hit "Bleeding Love," which topped the singles charts in 35 countries, including the United States, the UK and Japan.

Lewis garnered three GRAMMY nominations for 2008, including Record Of The Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Bleeding Love," and was named Billboard's Top New Artist. She followed with 2009's Echo, which reached the Top 15 on the Billboard 200, 2012's Glassheart and 2013's Christmas, With Love.

I Am, Lewis' fifth studio album and first since severing ties with longtime mentor Simon Cowell, features 10 tracks, including "Thunder," "Fire Under My Feet" and "I Am."