Selena Gomez doesn't want people to see her as ''just sad and hurt''.

The 28-year-old singer has become known for speaking out about her own battle with mental health, which she also channels into her music, specifically in her highly emotional new album 'Rare'.

But now, the star has said she doesn't want people to think she's always sad, because the album was only written about a specific time of her life which is now ''over''.

She explained to Rolling Stone magazine: ''I wanted people to take away that this was a journey and that it was completely closed. I don't want people to see me as just sad and hurt. I didn't want that anymore. I wanted people to know that I experienced something real, and that part of me is over.''

The news comes after the 'Lose You to Love Me' hitmaker - who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder - insisted she feels ''stronger'' for seeking help with her mental health.

She said earlier this year: ''[Being open] isn't an easy thing to ask of someone. I've had to go away a few times for stuff I didn't know [I was struggling with] and was confused by. And then this stigma came: What would people think? But when I thought about it, my first answer was, 'I don't care, this is my truth.' I'm not a stigma. I'm a person that walks their life.''

''As far as my career, I'm professional and I work very hard. At the same time, I do deal with mental health [issues] and I wanted that to also be known. In the beginning, it seemed hopeless. Sometimes it was a challenge for me to even get out of bed. I was like, 'Why can't I be like you guys?' Over the years I've finally found my rhythm, but it took me time.''