Reyna Roberts Refuses to ‘Fit Anybody’s Criteria’ in Country Music and Is Choosing to Be ‘Authentically Me’ (Exclusive)

Reyna Roberts is all about forging her own path.

The Alaskan-born country music singer, 27, sat down for an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, opening up about everything from her early artistic inspirations to singing backup for Beyoncé on “Blackbiird.”

Roberts touches on her experience as a Black artist in a music genre that historically lacks Black representation, noting that while she always knew she would face challenges in her chosen career, she also firmly believes that success would come if she stayed true to her most authentic self.

“I just want to create what's in my heart,” she says, adding, “And as many times as I run into roadblocks or people that are like, ‘You need to change your hair, you need to change the way you're dressed, [...] you need to change the way you sound.’ I'm like, ‘I'm going to win regardless.’ And that's always been my mentality.”

“People have a certain standard of what country music should look like and should sound like and should be, and I'm not trying to fit anybody's criteria but my own and just be who I am — that's authentically me. And that comes with challenges, but I also don't care because this is what I was made to do. This is what I was created for,” she continues.

Related: Reyna Roberts on Learning to Pole Dance for Her New Music Video: 'If I Failed, at Least I Tried!'

The America’s Got Talent alum also said that pursuing country music has never “been a choice for me," but rather was something to which she instinctively gravitated.

"It's never been an active decision. I've always just done it. I've always just known. And so, thankfully, I have never had to make that decision, like, ‘Oh, do I want to be a singer entertainer?’ It's always been here,” Roberts explains.

“It's always been in me, and it's always been what I've pursued. I remember being in class and instead of doing my homework — well, I would do my homework assignments — but I would be writing songs, writing poems, thinking about how I would be my first time doing interviews,” she recalls.

“So, it's never been a question for me. I've just always been this. I've always been an entertainer and a singer,” the star adds.

Related: Beyoncé's 'BLACKBIIRD' Collaborators Got Matching Tattoos to Commemorate the Moment

As for the future?

Roberts reveals that there are “so many things” coming down the pipeline in 2025, many of which will be “huge firsts” for her professionally.

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“I can't really speak on all of them yet because they haven't been announced, but there are some incredible things in the works that I'm so excited for people to see and experience,” she says.

She continues: “I'm also going to be definitely releasing more music this year, and I feel like more music in ways that people haven't seen me yet.”

“I also just released a song a few weeks ago with [rapper] NLE Choppa. It's so exciting because we're at this time where we're getting to blend these genres together and do it in an authentic way,” she adds.

Read the original article on People