I am scared of being forgotten as the girl next door, says Zahara
She may have won over Mzansi's heart with her powerful vocals but songbird Zahara's biggest fear is that she will not be remembered as the girl next door who changed lives through her music.
Zahara's personal life has been the subject of speculation and media reports for several years and the star told TshisaLIVE that she was scared these reports about her would overshadow her talent and change the way people see her.
"There have been a lot of things said about me. A lot of untrue things like I am a drunk and I am this and that. And it scares me that I could be remembered for those things and not my music. They (the public) have forgotten who I really am and that I am the girl next door," Zahara said.
Zahara said that she was trying to fight this by focusing on her music and not chasing fame.
"If I was chasing fame, I would put out singles and do promotion stunts for it, but I want people to hear my whole story. So I didn't put out singles, but released the whole album and let people decide what to listen to. Even the radio stations are playing different songs - the ones they like best. That is what I want," she added.
Zahara's latest album, Mgodi, sold over 15,000 copies in the first 24 hours of its release earlier this month, something she said proved that her music had the power to change people's perceptions about her.