Singer Katie Melua: She talks about mental health crisis

After her debut album “Call Off The Search” (2003), Katie Melua (40) was one of the most successful British singers in the 2000s. But the big break came in 2010: the musician suffered an acute psychotic episode and had to undergo inpatient treatment for six weeks.

In a moving film, the now 40-year-old speaks in detail for the first time about this difficult time. “I wasn’t afraid to stop – I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do it anymore,” Melua explains about the music. The worry of no longer being able to do the job she loved weighed heavily on her.

After her stay in the hospital, the singer made an impressive comeback. She returned with her fifth album in 2012, and her ninth studio work, “Love & Money”, was released in 2023. Music was her “savior” in therapy, emphasizes the native Georgian.

As “Sky News” further reports from the interview, Melua now knows how to deal with her mental health better. “I’ve learned to recognize the little warning signs,” she says. An important therapy insight was to live one day at a time. The birth of her son in 2022 also helped her stay focused.

With her openness, the musician also wants to encourage other affected people. As she confided to the Telegraph, she had never suffered from depression before her collapse. However, the constant pressure of album releases and touring eventually became “crazy”.

Katie Melua wants to continue making music – ideally “until the day I die,” as she emphasizes in the interview. With her story she impressively shows that psychological crises can be overcome.