Former Fifth Harmony member Ally Brooke is “Miss Movin On.”
The 25-year-old opened up exclusively to PEOPLE recently about her newest venture as a solo artist after the pop group announced an indefinite hiatus in May. First on Brooke’s list? She’s ready to “unleash Ally.”
“For so long I was in this box and now I’m out of it,” she says. “I’m able to be who I want to be.”
“Even my mom got emotional the other day. She’s like, ‘Ally, you are you again,’” she adds. “And it’s beautiful. It really is.”
Brooke recently signed a solo deal with Atlantic Records’ Latium Entertainment, where she says she is receiving all the support she has ever wanted to make her own music.
“I love being able to have a say in everything that I do,” the singer says. “They’re so open and also very smart and meticulous, and they pay attention to the details which is something that I’m just such a fan of.”
As for the type of work that fans can expect from her, Brooke says that the music “will be different than Fifth Harmony” but will still feature a young vibe that set the girl group apart from other artists.
RELATED VIDEO: Fifth Harmony Announces Hiatus as Members ‘Pursue Solo Endeavors’
“It’ll definitely have some flavor and flair, and I’ll be able to really be a different Ally than I was in Fifth Harmony,” she says.
There is no date set for the release of her new music, but Brooke is excited “about a few records.”
“We’re kind of just going with the flow, but you should definitely stay tuned. Sometime between now and 2022,” she says, laughing. “AB1 is on its way.”
The Latina artist is also excited to pursue Latin-influenced music, and “definitely has plans” to sing in Spanish. In fact, her new label is known for Latin artists like Play-n-Skillz and Messiah, who is featured on the Spanish remix of Cardi B’s smash hit “Bodak Yellow.”
Cardi B is on the list of people Brooke would love to work with, along with Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez, who has been one of her inspirations since she was young.
“She’s such an outstanding performer,” she says. “She’s Latina and she’s paved the way for so many people. For me to even exist, it’s because of her, which is unreal.”
Brooke has been working on a couple songs with songwriters and producers like Yei Gonzalez, who produced “Dinero” by Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled and Cardi B, Grammy winner James Fauntleroy from 1500 or Nothin’ and Diane Warren, who has had nine No. 1 songs on the Hot 100.
“I actually had a dream list of writers to work with and [Warren] was on there,” the “Perfect” singer says. “I found the list the other day and I scratched her name off which is really such a moment for me. It is very special.”
Recently, Brooke attended the Teen Choice Awards, where she was nominated for Choice Electronic/Dance Song and met up with former Fifth Harmony singer Normani. Aside from interacting through social media, she says she and the girls haven’t seen each other since their last show in May.
“Everyone’s doing their own thing so we haven’t really talked to each other,” she says. “I think everyone’s just in their own lane, in their own element.”
Along with her solo ventures in music, Brooke has been an avid representative of the ASPCA. She recently began fostering two kittens named Ladybelle and Minnie and plans to adopt them soon.
“We need to be their voices. They don’t have voices and we need to protect them,” she says. “They’re pure beings and we just need to take care of them.”
Brooke is content with where her life is today and says she is happy to have “the record label of my dreams.”
“I have a team who really believes in me and fights for me and who wants to see my visions come alive,” she says. “It feels like nothing I could ever describe, but I’m just thankful and I feel so blessed.”
