Maren Morris Reveals Writing This New Song Inspired Her to Come Out as Bisexual: 'Shot of Courage I Needed' (Exclusive)

Maren Morris is opening up about the art of self discovery.

In this week's issue of PEOPLE, the music superstar reveals that she found the courage to come out as bisexual after writing her new song "Push Me Over."

"I didn't ever feel before I had the courage to say that, and it was something that I knew for decades, but I think it was just the timing of: I'm in a space to say this without anything really getting misconstrued, and it's Pride Month," Morris, 34, says of her Instagram revelation in June. "I also had just felt comfortable in myself enough to write a song like 'Push Me Over.' It gave me the little shot of courage I needed, I guess."

In May, Morris teased on Instagram that she was working with songwriter-producer Tobias Jesso Jr. and the pop trio MUNA, which is comprised of fellow queer artists Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson. "A week of horny songs and fiction," Morris captioned a selfie at the time.

The result: "Push Me Over," a funky, flirty highlight from Morris' new EP Intermission.

On the track, she sings: "Necklace rests just so, on your collarbone / Makes me want to know / How your perfume smells on me later / Can you take control? Show me where to go / Ain't been here before / Don't know what it is, but I like the flavor / Want you in my bed / 'Cause I don't need no more friends / The more that you come closer / Want you to push me over."

And the Grammy winner says writing about women came "weirdly enough" naturally.

"I do feel like I was with the perfect group of people to write that song with. I hadn't worked with MUNA before, and I've just been a fan of theirs for so long. They're incredible songwriters, Naomi's an incredible producer, so being able to have this heart-to-heart with them about my experience, and then also being able to just freak out over each other's talents is so fun," Morris says. "It was just such an easy day. You don't always get those. It just came together so perfectly, it's almost suspiciously easy. It was really fun to connect with them through that lens, and I'm so excited that they're on this project."

Morris, who is on the road for her RSVP Redux tour, first opened up about her sexuality in a June 9 Instagram post, writing: "happy to be the B in LGBTQ+ ... happy pride."

"It didn't really feel like coming out," Morris says of her decision to make the announcement. "It just felt like, 'Oh, and by the way, I'm kind of in the club too, so happy pride.' It was the most free, fun, silly way to do it."

Following the post, Morris received a wave of love from her fans and followers.

"The support outpour was really, really encouraging and obviously so nice. You just never know," the outspoken singer says. "There's so many things I have said that could be polarizing, and this just felt like if it connects with somebody or feels like they feel a little bit braver, knowing artists that they admire or love is too, that's obviously an amazing byproduct of being honest with yourself. But also, I don't know if that many people were surprised."

Intermission, which Morris dropped on Friday, Aug. 2, marks the largest body of work the singer has released since she revealed last September that she was taking a step back from the "toxic" parts of the country-music industry after years of calling out racism and misogyny in the business.

Nearly a year later, Morris acknowledges the genre is still part of her DNA: “There’s just something about country music and my upbringing and the way that I’ve learned to write songs that I will never shake and don’t want to.”

But she’s found freedom in reclaiming her voice.

“I’m trying new things and feeling comfortable to do so,” adds Morris, who feels “truly liberated in myself and in my work.”

And she sounds more self-assured and better than ever on Intermission, on which she moves on and finds strength in vulnerability after her career reset and subsequent divorce from fellow singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd, 37. (The pair share son Hayes, 4.)

“This feels like an amazing journey of discovery,” she says, “and also the heartbreak of the death of a relationship and what fun and joy you find in the aftermath of a trauma or a tragedy like that.”

For more on Maren Morris, pick up the news issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.