Singer-songwriter and Scream Queens actress, Lea Michele, has just released her second album, "Places," which is the follow-up to her debut record, "Louder".

The New Yorker, who began her career at the young age of eight, says that she sees songwriting as a "form of therapy".

"Hey You" was penned about her late ex-boyfriend Cory Monteith and says that whilst it is about a difficult time in her life, she gets "joy and love" from listening to the track. She revealed:

"This is exactly how I’m feeling in my life right now. I want the world to hear it... I like to keep certain things private (but) songwriting is a form of therapy.

"I love ("Hey You"). I think it is such a beautiful song, and it has such a beautiful message. Despite it being about a more sensitive subject matter, when I listen to it, my overall feeling that I get from it is just joy and love.

"People have a perception of who I am and where I’m at right now because of everything I’ve been through... But I am so happy. And I feel so strong."

And the 30-year-old star feels she has the perfect balance between her personal and professional lives. She said:

"I’m always making time to work out, to take care of myself, to just sit on the couch and binge-watch Netflix. That’s what keeps me grounded.

"I feel very hopeful right now. I’m so blessed to have really incredible friends and my family... and that personal-professional life balance. Whenever things are in that great sweet spot, that’s when I’m most happy."

Meanwhile, the former Glee star says talking about her ex Monteith is a "sensitive subject". She said:

"I wasn't originally thinking of including that on the album. It's sort of a sensitive subject for me that's hard to talk about, and I didn't want anything on the record that I couldn't talk about. But it just felt so beautiful. It wasn't about loss, it wasn't about sadness. It was really about joy and love.

"I love it so much, and I really feel it represents who I am and everything that I've been through in my life. I don't talk much more beyond that. When you come to my concert, that's really when I open up and dive into what these songs personally mean to me."

Lea Michele is currently touring the US, which she kicked off in the UK in London.

"Places" was released last month on April 28. It debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Pop Chart. The lead single, "Love Is Alive," was released on March 3 this year.

You can buy 'Places' here ☜