H.E.R. Says Playing Belle in 'Beauty and the Beast' 'Helped Me Embrace What Femininity Is to Me'

For H.E.R., being cast as Belle in the upcoming Beauty and the Beast was not only historical as she's the first Black and Filipino person to do so — but it also taught her a thing or two about who she is deep down.

Speaking to PEOPLE in honor of L'Oréal Paris' Women of Worth event in Los Angeles, the R&B singer opened up about her experience playing the book-loving Disney princess in the ABC special, premiering on Dec. 15.

"That was one of the most fun things I've ever done in my life but also one of the most challenging. It was so rewarding," H.E.R. (whose real name is Gabriella Wilson) told PEOPLE. "Being a Disney princess is really fun because I felt like I was challenging what it means to be a Disney princess, what a Disney princess looks like, where she comes from, her strength, being vulnerable."

The "Hard Place" singer, 25, also says that in the process, Belle helped her embrace a side of herself she hadn't tapped into before.

"There are so many things that Belle has changed [about] me [in the] best ways — and just embracing what femininity is to me. It was nice to discover something within myself I didn't know that I had, and that's the Disney princess."

She concluded, "I absolutely loved everything about that whole thing. The cast was amazing. It was just so much fun and lighthearted and there were kids on set and we had a blast. It was nice to see them and look in their eyes. It was a crazy experience. I can't wait for you to see it."

Transforming into a Belle that feels right is another challenge in itself — but H.E.R.'s vision was clear from the beginning.

"[My vision] was to of course stay true to the character. But like I said, there's a strength in her that I wanted to bring out. I think me being Belle alone and looking the way that I do and coming from a Filipino and Black background was enough because it's a different face, it's a different representation for young girls to see."

She added, "They even made my father Filipino and that's rare. I don't think I've ever seen anything on this level, where Filipinos were being recognized and it's very special. I did a really cool nod on my costume to my Filipino heritage, so I'm excited for people to see that. But just me being me alone and being in that position is a lot, so I'm proud of that."

Meanwhile, as an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, the singer-songwriter finds it important to be someone who goes "the extra mile" to make a change.

"There's tons of women that have been in my life, that do that in the simplest ways. But I really want to honor my mom and it's crazy because I feel like when it comes to your parents, there's so much of their work that goes unnoticed," she says of her mother Agnes, who is a nurse.

"I had a friend growing up in school and he had been through a lot in his life. And recently, I just found out that our moms knew each other. When I met his mom, she came to me in tears and said, 'Your mother helped me through my depression. There were nights I couldn't sleep and she would be there and she would answer my calls. She was more than my nurse,' " she recalled.

"I couldn't believe that story. I never even knew about her. My mom never spoke about her, but I've heard a few stories like that and I think that's so special and so inspiring."

ABC's Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration — where H.E.R. stars opposite Josh Groban as the Beast and Rita Moreno serves as the narrator — will air on Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET.