Its been a minute since we’ve had a Kelly Rowland album, three years to be exact since the release of her fourth solo album ‘Talk A Good Game‘ in 2013. Kels has kept herself busy with marriage, motherhood, acting, and crafting her first girl group June’s Diary.

Well now Kelly sat down with Billboard to dish on her ladies, her new music and even promises that fans who have been waiting, should expect the album to be complete before the end of the year. Get into her excerpts below.

We’ll start with June’s Diary. Now that they’re stepping out on their own a little more, are you still a very hands-on mentor?

I’m still hands-on but I’m falling back a little bit because I want them to find their way. I don’t want to hold their hand. Me and Frank [Gatson] noticed that we can’t do that. They’re grown women. The same way that me, Michelle and Bey had to fight our way through, they need to fight. And you appreciate it more when you pull your own outfits together, when you handle a situation where you only have one mic or when you get through a 20-city radio tour and didn’t kill each other. It’s those things that really shape and mold you into greatness. It builds character and the ladies have such amazing characters already. They’re such great ladies, and I really want the best for them. I want people to go out and support them and to support girl groups.

And support R&B.

And R&B! It’s so crazy that artists like Chance The Rapper are bringing back these R&B beats but he’s like doing this crazy flow. I’m just so crazy about him.

Ok, so no pressure, but what new music can we expect from you?

I’m trying to close out the record by the end of this year. I told myself to stop [doing other things] and just finish it.

What’s so tough about completing this LP?

Just because I’ve been gone for so long. I wanted to take that first year to just be a mother, but I wanted to put out music at the same time. I was fighting myself. So then here’s the second year, and I’ve been recording but I’ve always had some hiccups in between it with other projects that I’m doing. I’m shooting a movie right now, but at the end of this year, I definitely am finishing up this record and I’m releasing it next year. I’m even tired of waiting on it myself, I want to get back on stage, and I want my son to see me on stage. I want him to witness that whole feeling. He saw me at rehearsal a couple months back when I did a video and he was so excited. So the fact that he likes it, I need him to see that again.

Kelly also dishes on an upcoming movie project, a new book she is working on which she says has a concept that has never been done before, and more. Read the rest HERE.