10:58 AM EST on Saturday, February 5, 2005

Associated Press

HIGH POINT, N.C. — Reigning American Idol Fantasia Barrino said she knows that many young women struggle with trying to support themselves and their children, just as she did.

One song on her new CD, "Free Yourself," is dedicated to those mothers. That track, "Baby Mama," has stirred controversy because some people view it as an endorsement for bearing children out of wedlock.

That's not the case, said Barrino, 20, who has a 3-year-old daughter, Zion.

"I wanted to shout out to all those young moms," said Barrino who returned home to High Point on Friday while on tour to promote the CD. "They can get in the car, turn up the radio and know, 'This one's for me."'

But she isn't promoting teenage motherhood, she said. "It's not cute. It ain't easy. It's hard."

Young teens come up to her and tell her, "I'm a baby mama." "That's cool," she tells them, but then she asks, "What are you doing to try to better yourself?"

"It's really gotten to my heart," she said. "I need to sit down and talk to these young women."

She isn't ashamed of being a teenage mother, she said. "But if I could have waited, I would have."

Barrino's mother, Diane, kept Zion while Barrino toured with other American Idol contestants. Now Zion travels with her mother. Having her child beside her reminds Barrino why she is working so hard, she said.

Barrino, who was among the artists who sang a tribute to Elton John at the 27th annual Kennedy Center Honors in December, will be a co-host of the Soul Train Awards on Feb. 28, and she is nominated for an NAACP Image Award as outstanding female artist.

She's also interested in acting. She has already appeared as Aretha Franklin on the NBC drama "American Dreams" and she has filmed an appearance as herself for the UPN show "All of Us" that is scheduled to run March 1.

She has a voice role coming up on the Fox animated series "The Simpsons" as Clarissa, a character who goes up against Lisa Simpson in a singing contest - and loses.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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