By: Kristen Turner
Photos: Darren Tieste & prphotos.com

From her new role as a judge on the U.S. version of The X Factor and the
release of her album, Killer Love, Nicole Scherzinger is taking the entertainment industry by storm. We caught up with the former Pussycat Dolls lead singer on the set of her shoot for The Beauty Book to talk about everything from her musical inspiration to her childhood nickname.

Nicole strikes a pose to benefit brain cancer research for famed photographer Darren Tieste’s labor of love, The Beauty Book.

Tell us what your fans can expect to hear on your new album, Killer Love. How is the music different from what you have done in the past?
Killer Love is a lot more personal to me. Fans can expect everything from dangerously fun dance anthems to rock pop tracks. These will be songs that make you feel good but come from a very personal place from me. It’s hopefully an album that fans can really relate to, especially if anyone has gone through change. I really opened up on this one.

What is it like to work alongside strong personalities like Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid?
I’m honored to be alongside my new X Factor family! They inspire me to want to be better so I can beat Simon.

Tell us about your experience on Dancing with the Stars.
It was amazing! I really grew as a person. Now I know how to do a mean Argentine Tango and I made a great friend and brother out of it - Derek Hough. I’m so grateful for my experience. It added to my life as a person and an artist.It made me more well-rounded. It also made my family very happy as they are huge fans of the show!

Tell us about your new single, “Don’t Hold Your Breath.”
It’s a song about letting go. If you’ve ever been in a relationship where you feel like you’ve lost yourself, it’s about letting go, and coming into a new self and empowering yourself. Letting go of the fear.

What do you enjoy most about your new role as a judge on The X Factor?
My favorite thing is to mentor the contestants. I’m very passionate about what I do and I am honored to be able to help artists be the best that they can be and achieve their dreams. It’s my way of being of service.

With the release of your new album and your new role on The X Factor, when do you find time to rest? What do you do with your downtime?
I don’t get much time off, to be honest, but I like funny movies and really nice dinners.

Describe your involvement with The Beauty Book.
It was an amazing experience because it was a great cause. I took these pictures to lend my support to a great cause. I was honored to be a part of such an extraordinary experience.

What is your favorite song(s) to perform?
I loved performing “Poison” and “Hate This Part” acoustically recently. And “Don’t Cha” is always fun to get the people feeling good.

You have worked with some amazing artists (Sting, Akon, Ne-Yo, to name a few). What advice have they given you?
Actually I just worked with 50 Cent on the set of my video “Right There” and he was so encouraging and supportive and reminding me that I got this far for a reason and to take it and own it.

Which artists inspire you? What can we find playing on your iPod?
Adele, Prince - just saw him in concert and blew my mind - and I’d love to write with Bruno Mars.

You paid your own way through college, majoring in theatre and acting, while studying dance… Have you always had such a strong work ethic?
Yes, my family mainly knows one thing, work. It was in my blood, and I love that. It’s made me who I am today and made me appreciate everything I have so much more. It makes it all sweeter.

We heard that your nickname growing up in Hawaii was Hula. How did you earn that title?
Actually, I was born in Hawaii but grew up in Kentucky and because I was probably one of the only Hawaiian girls growing up there is how I got the nickname.

What’s next for you?
I’m excited about my cameo role in Men in Black 3 coming out next year. And as of this year, keep locked in on @nicolescherzy.