Leona Lewis wishes she could “just sing” and forget about red carpets and promotional tours.

The “Happy” singer sometimes dreams about throwing away her celebrity lifestyle for a more normal existence, but will put up with almost anything if it will “help people.”

“I definitely have moments when I come home and shut the door and think that all I want to do is sing. But then I think, wait a minute—how are people going to hear my music? The bottom line is that if I can inspire, create awareness and help someone or an animal in any way, then it’s all been worth it.”

Leona shot to fame when she won talent show The X Factor in 2006. Since then, her life has been a “whirlwind,” but she is starting to make sense of her fame: “It’s definitely a journey for me, and I’m still adjusting. I’ve just learned how to decipher the true, genuine people from the ones that want to know you for their own benefit along the way.”

Even though she now lives in Los Angeles, Leona still relies on her London-based family and friends to help her stay “grounded.”

“I come from a very normal place with a normal family and I definitely stay true to that. There are moments when I’m like, ‘Wow’, but at the end of the day you need a reality check and mine is friends and family.”