Ally Brooke Feels 'Fully Myself' as She Works on Debut Spanish Music: 'This Is Totally Me'

"I have freed up parts of me that I've never freed up before," Ally tells PEOPLE about her upcoming music

Ally Brooke. Photo: Bryson Roatch

Ally Brooke is ready for the world to hear her new music — under a new label, with a new "dream team" and completely in Spanish.

As Latinx Heritage Month wraps up on Friday, PEOPLE caught up with the former Fifth Harmony star to discuss her new era of music as she prepares to release "Mi Música," her Spanish single out Oct. 22.

"This has been such a major blessing in my life," the "Perfect" singer, 28, says. "My fans can see how happy I am and I can't even explain it. It's indescribable."

Although she's dropped songs in Spanish before, such as "Vámonos" and "500 Veces," Ally says this new era really "taps into my roots, how I grew up and who I am today."

"I co-wrote a lot of these songs. I was able to be so involved with the creative process," Ally — who signed with Duars Entertainment earlier this year — explains. "This is me. This is totally me. And the world's going to hear it. I can't wait."

Ally says she's "finally" been given the chance to help create her music from scratch and be involved in her music's writing process — something she wasn't able to do before.

"I feel a [sense of] relief, I feel like I'm an artist, I'm fully myself and I'm pouring myself into these songs," she says. "And I felt like before, I didn't have that chance. To be able to finally put my writing in every song is the best feeling."

The songstress says that growing up in San Antonio and being surrounded by her culture and traditions was pivotal in her new music.

"Growing up, having family be my glue, be my everything — that's what shaped me. And you will hear that in my album, you'll hear so much influence," she says. "I would even say from the music in San Antonio, you'll hear so much of that. And that is all kind of mixed with this new part of me, of being a woman finally discovering who I am."

"I feel like this is home for me. This is where I've wanted to be. And I'm finally here," she adds.

Ally candidly says she's "always wanted" to sing more in Spanish and though learning more of the language was "a little challenging," she says she was surrounded by people who encouraged her and helped her grow even if Spanish isn't her native language.

"I have freed up parts of me that I've never freed up before. And it's my favorite to sing in Spanish, honestly," she says. "I feel like I'm so passionate and raw. I feel like I'm glowing when I'm recording these songs and I'm putting all of my heart into it."

In her book Finding Your Harmony last year, Ally wrote about being excluded from Spanish-language singing and conversations surrounding being Latina during her time in Fifth Harmony, including on The X-Factor where she performed her verse in song "Impossible" in Spanish, despite being asked not to by the producers given her fluency.

"I just feel like I'm redeemed, I've got my redemption and in such a way that I could've never imagined," she says. "It's the best feeling in the whole world. And I feel like my best part is coming out now. Everything that I've been through leading until now is just crazy."

As she celebrates Latinx Heritage Month, Ally points to her inspirations Selena, Shakira, J.Lo and Gloria Estefan and some of the leading female artists of today: Karol G, Natti Natasha and Sofia Reyes.

"My favorite thing about being Latina is a passion we have and the inner will to do whatever it is that is in our hearts to achieve things that no one has achieved," she says.

On Friday, fans will get a glimpse of the music that's to come as she's featured on "Break" and "Yo Estaré" from Carlos Santana's album Blessings and Miracles.