Anne-Marie has struggled to speak about her grief since her nan died.

The 29-year-old pop star has opened up about the first time she felt ''real sadness'' in her life, when her grandparent passed away when she was a teenager, and she's admitted it's only ''more recently'' she's been getting ''better'' at speaking up on how she is really feeling.

Anne-Marie is quoted by The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column as saying: ''I feel like I was totally, completely happy until I was about 13. But I found out what real sadness was because my nan died.

''I had never ­experienced someone like that so close to me dying.

''Then obviously what I looked like came into play and being at school was so difficult.

''After, I held that in because I didn't speak to anyone about it - then it got bad when I was older, as I didn't talk about it.

''It's more recently I've got better.''

Music has been like therapy for the 'Friends' hitmaker, who added: ''I didn't realise but when I started writing music I was writing it about myself. I keep saying to people: 'I'm getting better' - but I'm still not better.''

The 'Birthday' singer previously revealed her bullying hell and how she needed hypnotherapy to feel comfortable being in the same room as new people.

She said: ''Honestly, until I had hypnotherapy, I had struggled with everyone I'd met, even the people in the label. They'd be like, 'We're on your side, we want the best for you.' I was like: 'F*** off, you don't!'

''It sounds as if she was bullied. 'Well, do you know what? At one point I guess it was that. But I also think I was a really sensitive person. I find it hard saying that word, 'bullying', because in the end, I feel bad for the people I'm calling a bully.''