Britney Spears spoke about her mental health struggles, how she’s her own worst critic, and being overprotected

In a rare and candid interview, the Princess of Pop Britney Spears has opened up about her mental health, and shared her thoughts on her massive superstardom.

The singer, who is currently on her first tour of Asia in 2002, was speaking to Israeli paper Yediot Ahronot where she shared some of her most candid and real thoughts in years. The interview comes just days ahead of the performer’s first ever concert in Tel Aviv, which has actually caused the country to delay an election, and after the singer’s new boo, Sam Asghari, flew to Japan to be with the singer while she was performing a string of concerts in the country.

However, it’s Britney Spears’ latest interview that has us sitting up and paying attention.

Spears, who is known to be intensely private and who doesn’t usually discuss her much publicized breakdown, can often give somewhat one dimensional answers in interviews. Yet, speaking to Yediot Ahronot it seems that the singer has let her guard down.

According to a translation of the interview that appeared on Breathe Heavy, Brit was asked about her superstardom, and what it was like to be her.

Given that she’s still, 20 years into her career, one of the most famous people in the world, the singer said that she often finds herself in denial about her star status.

“Deep inside I wish to be very private, which I believe I am,” she said. “All this fame is way too much for me, as it’s really hard to grasp its magnitude.”

Continuing, Spears said that she often looks back at her career and questions some of the goings on in the music industry, and said that if she could give her 16-year-old self any words of advice it would be to “enjoy the moment.”

When asked about whether this was something she hadn’t really done, the star said, “Not really. I think I had fun when I was younger. I was a pretty normal girl, a tomboy. But my 20’s were awful. My 30’s are much better for me, I’ve learned to get to know myself better.”

she added, when asked about what in 20’s made them so awful. “There were many decisions that were made for me and that I didn’t make myself.”

As the interviewer quips that she was “overprotected,” Britney opened up even more.

“My life was controlled by too many people and that doesn’t really let you be yourself,” she admitted. “In that situation, when your not in control, you become less excited, and there’s less passion when it comes to music. I wrote back then, that I was lost and didn’t know what to do with myself. I was trying to please everyone around me because that who I am deep inside. There are moments where I look back and think ‘What the hell was I thinking.'”

Britney then got super real as she was asked about when she was the toughest on herself.

While the singer refused to called those turbulent years following the births of her two sons a “crisis,” she did say that it can be a balancing act, but that she has now found peace.

“Each and every one of us that starts at a young age needs to take into account that you’ve gotta be balanced in order to stay in this industry and to manage your personal life. Sometimes that’s very challenging. I think I was very different back then, younger, not always knowing what’s good or bad, very instinctive,” she said. “Today I’m at a better place in my life. My kids shaped my personality and filled me. They made me not worry about what was happening to me.”

Given that Britney Spears doesn’t often open up about her life so candidly, we’re incredibly grateful that she decided to share some of her story. What’s more, we’re so, so, so happy to hear that she is feeling centered with her children, and that she has managed to work her way out of that situation and arrive at a place where she’s happy and healthy.

Indeed, from looking at her very eccentric Instagram account, Britney seems to be living her life to the fullest, whether it’s putting on home fashion shows or just sharing silly memes (or Google Imaged pictures of corn), and we absolutely love seeing it.