Ashanti is re-recording her debut album to reclaim her masters

Ashanti is re-recording her 2002 debut album so that she owns her masters, the singer has confirmed ahead of an Australian tour that opens in Perth on 9 November. Her breakout hit "Foolish" turns 25 next year alongside the album that carried it.

"We are rerecording it so I will own my masters," Ashanti said in a wide-ranging interview. "Sonically, it will be a lot clearer. It was 25 years ago so it'll sound a little more new, obviously, but with the same classic vibe."

She described the anniversary as a milestone she does not take for granted. "That I can still go to an arena and hold the mic in the air and hear everyone sing those lyrics is a beautiful feeling. And a blessing."

What does ownership change for artists?

Ashanti laid out the mechanics plainly. After 20 years, artists gain the legal right to re-record their masters and, in her words, "take back what's yours, so to speak". She framed her move as a prompt for younger musicians.

"Hopefully it inspires artists to try and take control from the beginning – hopefully you don't have to wait 20 years! But if you do, you go in, you get it done and you have fun with it."

The strategy echoes the playbook of Taylor Swift, though Ashanti did not name other artists on this point. What it changes for her is concrete: control of the recordings, a refreshed sound and a catalogue she fully owns as it enters its third decade.

Marriage, thermostats and a compromise at 70

Ashanti and her husband, the rapper Nelly, have been together for decades. She praised his generosity without hesitation.

"He has got to have the biggest heart I know. He is so generous and genuine – he will literally take the shirt off of his back and give it to you."

The friction is domestic and specific. "Definitely the thermostat," she said. He prefers roughly 60 degrees Fahrenheit; she wants 80 or 85. Their settlement: 70 degrees (21C).

On stage: fans, wardrobe and a young namesake

The singer recalled two kinds of chaos from live shows. "I definitely have had some – I guess we're going to call them very excited fans – jump on stage and give me a hug mid-performance," she said. Then came the wardrobe failure.

"I've also had a bodysuit snap off on stage. That was not my coolest moment. We had to have the band play for a second. I went into the wing and got it together."

Her fan encounters now span generations. One recent interview at SiriusXM delivered a surprise: "She said, 'Oh my god, I love you! My dad named me after you!'" A teenager recently sang every word of "Foolish" alongside her mother in the audience.

Acting, instincts and an organic rider

Ashanti, who appeared in the 2006 film "John Tucker Must Die", called acting "just another muscle to flex" but noted the loss of control compared with music: on stage, "you know people are there to see you", while acting means portraying a character someone else wrote and directed.

The best lesson she has absorbed: "Usually your gut is right." She admitted she second-guesses herself, and said Nelly regularly reminds her of it.

Her infant son will join the Australia tour, supported by a nanny. She cooks all his food from scratch and keeps everything organic. "Most people have liquor, chips, candy on their rider – and mine is just like, organic sweet potatoes!"

Asked about dream collaborators, she named SZA and Summer Walker, adding: "I like women empowerment. Nothing against the guys!"

The Perth date on 9 November opens the run, with a re-recorded debut album positioned to follow.