Leona Lewis says her new album has been inspired by the upheaval in her personal life.

The 26-year-old singer endured an acrimonious separation from her childhood sweetheart Lou Al-Chamaa in June 2010 and she admits the split has had an effect on her forthcoming LP.

Leona – whose new single ‘Collide’ is to be released in September – said: “The past two years, I have had a lot of situations thrown at me. It has made me realise that I am much stronger than I thought I was.

“I have been through a lot of changes and making this new album has been really therapeutic. This really is my most personal album to date.”

The ‘Happy’ hitmaker – who is now dating German backing dancer Dennis Jauch – has told her fans to expect a different vibe to her album, and she insists first single ‘Collide’ sets a benchmark for what the rest of the record will be like.

She explained: “I’m excited for people to see a different side to my music. ‘Collide’ is a summer song that has a really good vibe. I love the energy and happiness I feel when I listen to it . On my previous album ‘Echo’, and also on tour, I was experimenting with more high-energy sounds, so it’s a progression from that.”