Chloe Bailey Used to Be 'Ashamed' of Her Curves — Now Her 'Favorite' Part of Her Body Is Her Butt

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It's hard not to become captivated by Chloe Bailey's confidence, whether you see her perform live on stage, watch her on television, or simply scroll through her Instagram page. The 23-year-old multi-hyphenate seems to exude self-assurance, but she hasn't always felt comfortable in her own skin. The "Have Mercy" singer opened up about her insecurities and ongoing journey toward self love and accepting her body in a new interview with Allure.

"It's complicated. I've always had thick thighs and a butt," she told the publication. "But I was growing up at a time when, if someone on television told you that you had a big butt, they meant it as an insult. So, I was a little ashamed of my curves. I tried to hide them." Today, that's no longer the case. "It took a very, very long time. Now my favorite thing about [my body] is my butt," she said. (Related: Why You Need to Start Practicing Self Compassion — and How to Do Just That)

Seeing women with similar bodies to hers take center stage helped Bailey feel confident in her appearance, she explained to Allure. "The first woman I saw embrace her body was Beyoncé," she said. "Hearing her sing 'Bootylicious' or seeing her perform on the BET [awards] made me feel calm about my body," added Bailey. She also said singer Jill Scott positively influenced her self image. "She showed me another beautiful, full-figured, thick, sexy, curvaceous [woman], and I was like, that is sexy."

Despite becoming more accepting of her body, Bailey is well aware confidence is ever changing. "We're not all supposed to be perfect, like bad bitch and confident, all the time. We have different layers, ebbs and flows to our lives," she said in the recent interview. "It would be completely unfair for me to portray myself to the world like I have no problems. Because I do."

Bailey wanted to highlight her self-love journey in her first upcoming solo album, Chlöe. "In the beginning, you can tell that [the person] who is singing is like a bird with broken wings," she said. "As time went on, you can hear me finding my strength and confidence. I didn't want to lose that story as I pieced the [songs] together." (Related: Peloton's Tunde Oyeneyin Shares How She Grew to Become the Confident Queen She Is Today)

When you see a celebrity as seemingly confident as Bailey open up about their insecurities and struggles, it's like a breath of fresh air, and (as cliché as it may sound) it's a reminder that no one is perfect. So, props to the singer for letting her fans in on her personal journey toward self love and body acceptance.