Katy Perry talks 'Smile,' says her depression made her fear for her life

Katy Perry says her new album "Smile" is a product of all the challenges she went through in the past three years, when she battled depression and came out of it through sheer will.

The singer admitted that she got "clinically depressed" and was under medication to help with the mental condition. She said that although she "had always been able to skirt the issue," her psychologist eventually had to put her on medication that changed her chemistry.

"I was on something that my psychologist at the time recommended. It changes the chemistry of your mind. Sometimes people need a pharmaceutical crutch," Perry said in an interview with The Times UK.

She remembered that going through the medication was "really intense." Eventually, she decided to snap out of her depression and not rely on medicine. Instead, Perry decided that the change should come from within.

"You are never going to change someone as much as you want to change them. I had to make the choice [to change myself] after hitting rock bottom," she said.

The "Fireworks" singer admitted that she feared she would not live to see 2018 when she battled depression in 2017. The poor reception and commercial sales of her fifth studio album, "Witness," reportedly caused her mental illness.

"I had no choice but to go on this emotional, spiritual, psychological journey or I probably wouldn't live to see 2018," she shared.

Now she admitted that she gets to enjoy the ride and does not care anymore whether her sixth studio album, "Smile," will come out to rave reviews.

"I've been through the journey, now I'm just enjoying the ride. I'm [no longer] a thirsty, desperate pop star that has to reach certain numbers in order to feel worthy," Perry shared adding that her new album generally means "getting my smile back."

The 35-year-old "Never Worn White" singer described her album to fans during Sunday's episode of #SmileSundays as "hopeful, resilient, joyful, and my own journey of coming through hell." Perry said the song in the album that sums up her life right now is either "Smile" or "What Makes A Woman" because she is pregnant with her daughter with fiancé Orlando Bloom. The baby is due anytime this month and her album will be out on Aug. 28.