'Bey always says to be authentic': Kelly Rowland credits BFF Beyoncé for helping her find self-confidence... as singer hails girl power as 'f***ing incredible'

By Simone Amelia and Charlotte Foster For Daily Mail Australia

PUBLISHED: 07:35, 23 April 2017 | UPDATED: 08:30, 23 April 2017

She's the tenacious beauty who rose to fame as part of Destiny's Child.

And Kelly Rowland, 36, has made a name for herself since becoming a solo artist, but she admits is hasn't always been easy.

Kelly opened up to Sydney Morning Herald about her struggles with self-confidence and how close friends Beyonce and Solange Knowles inspired her to be great.

Kelly Rowland, 36, has made a name for herself since being a solo artist and entertainer, but it hasn't always been easy

After Destiny's Child split up in 2005, Kelly began her journey of self-discovery and acceptance and she is now determined to empower other young women to do the same.

'Bey always says to be authentic. Some people get it early - Solange [Knowles] got it so early, she always made up her own rules. I think with me it comes with age,' she told the publication.

She described Beyonce's mother Tina Lawson as her 'bonus mother' and confidante, revealing it was her who forced Kelly to appreciate her natural good looks.

Advice from a friend: Kelly said 'Beyoncé always says to be authentic'

'She [Tina Knowles] would literally get me in front of the mirror and tell me how beautiful my chocolate skin was'

'She would literally get me in front of the mirror and tell me how beautiful my chocolate skin was,' said Kelly.

'I wasn't just a face for myself, I was a face for other girls who looked like me and I don't want them to see themselves and not see how incredible they are in their own skin,' she offered.

As Kelly began to accept and love herself, she decided it was her responsibility to share her experiences to empower other young women.

As Kelly began to accept and love herself, she decided it was her responsibility to share her experiences to empower other young women

The Atlanta-born singer is in the middle of recording her first solo album since 2013's Talk A Good Game, a new set she said will remind women of how 'f***ing incredible' they are.

The mother of two-year-old son Titan said she wants to give her son the support she didn't have, but doesn't want him to have everything handed to him either.

She said: 'I don't want him to be an entitled little prick, I want him to be respectful.'