Paloma Faith's New Album 'Glorification of Sadness' Is About Grief After Divorce: 'It's Very Truthful' (Exclusive)

Paloma Faith is transitioning into a new chapter in her life, and she wants her fans to come along for the ride.

Two years after getting divorced, Faith is releasing her sixth studio album, Glorification of Sadness, which is all about the stages of grief, on Friday. The pop singer, 42, tells PEOPLE exclusively that writing and recording the album has been healing in leaving a big part of her life behind following “the biggest breakup of my life.”

“It's very truthful and explicit about what it's about, and honest in the same way as Dolly Parton's song ‘D-I-V-O-R-C-E,’” she explains. “I've been very explicit about all of my feelings of grief — running from rage, to introspection, self-doubt, guilt and shame, potential moments of hope, euphoria, all of it.”

Each track tells a different part of the Pennyworth actress’s story in order. She says she wrote the album over the past few years to accurately embody the emotions that came with what she was going through.

“The whole thing documents the growth of my feelings during the stage of the grief,” she says. “So it starts with ‘Sweatpants.’ That was when I was still in the relationship and doubting whether it had a future. And then it ends with ‘Already Broken,’ which was a song written about speaking to a potential new love interest.”

Several of the songs are about her children, and she said she even features their voices on one “sacred” track — ‘Divorce’ — where Faith is singing about hopelessness and love. The record also features joyful tunes, such as her (and her daughter’s) favorite empowerment song.

“My 2-year-old has me sing ‘Bad Woman’ to her every night before bed,” Faith shares. “It's her favorite song and she loves it, and she keeps telling everyone she's a bad woman, so I'm doing something right I think.”

The message of “Bad Woman” in particular is what Faith says represents the album as a whole. She believes that “women are burning out” without receiving the respect they deserve.

“We've now got three people's jobs to do,” she explains. “We are raising the kids, we're mothering everyone who needs it, and we're working as well. And I don't feel like men are stepping up to notice or be as sympathetic to it as they should be in filling in the gaps. I think we are just exhausted. And so it's about saying essentially, f--- you to the patriarchy."

Another way Faith, who is a favorite artist of royals Prince William and Kate, is standing up against the patriarchy — claiming the title of executive producer. Although this is the first time she has received that title on an album, Faith says she has played that role on all her albums — she just never got credit for it.

“This time I'm like, ‘No, I'm not doing that anymore.’ It's kind of like a feminist move, but also just a human move as well, just to be like, 'OK, I'm going to give everyone credit, but I'm not going to forget myself.’”

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The “How You Leave a Man” singer will be going on tour in the U.K. and Europe in the spring, landing in 26 cities over the course of three months. Afterward, she says she wants to focus on her other pursuits in the entertainment world, as well as her family.

“After the album promo and all the touring, I would love to tour in America, but that depends on streaming numbers, and I'd love to do some more acting, and I can't wait for my book to come out,” she reveals. “I think that's enough. I've got two children to raise on my own now as well.”

She laughs as she adds: “I've still got to make sure my children don't resent me for never being there.”