Ava Max, the 31-year-old pop star, has been through a rollercoaster ride of emotions, both personally and professionally, since the release of her second album, Diamonds & Dancefloors. But with her latest single "Lovin Myself," set to appear on her upcoming album, Don't Click Play, Max is taking a triumphant return to the music scene.

Max, whose real name is Amanda Koçi, sings about being a "heartbreak survivor" and working to reconnect with herself following hardship in "Lovin Myself." The upbeat track finds Max embracing her independence and self-love, with lyrics that nod to a cheekier sexual type of self-love.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Max opened up about the inspiration behind "Lovin Myself," returning to her signature lopsided hair, and why she's leaning into self-deprecating themes for the Don't Click Play era.

"I was going through a time last year where I was very alone and I learned to love myself," Max said. "This song is for everyone. But for me personally, I was going through a time where I was very alone and I learned to love myself."

Max also discussed how she's been looking to her roots for inspiration while making this album. "I feel like there's a lot of "Kings & Queens" feeling songs on the album. It's almost like going back to how I started and my love for pop music, really."

The singer-songwriter also revealed that she's been seeking a return to form after letting comments get to her in the past two years. "I let the comments get to me the last two years, and I changed who I was for other people," Max said. "I took away the Max Cut essentially because people in the industry didn't like it. People I was working with didn't like it, and I was just like, "You know what? I'm just going to get rid of it if it's that bad." Then, I realized that it was 1% of the population that didn't like it, and I loved it."

Max also talked about her upcoming album, Don't Click Play, which is already finished. "It is done," Max said. "I love it so much. I can't wait for everybody to hear it."

The album will feature some collaborations and remixes, but Max remained tight-lipped about the details. "There's definitely going to be remixes. There's going to be some collaborations. Can't say much right now. I can't give you all the surprises."

For more on Ava Max, including her upcoming album and her journey to self-love, visit here.

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