CHART-topping singer Duffy, 26, returned with her second album Endlessly.

Having sold 7m copies of her debut album Rockferry since 2008, Duffy will release a new single next month.

Do you see endlessly as the next step in your career?

I think the next few years in my life are going to be the telling years as to who I become. It’s one thing to be catapulted into the public consciousness, but it’s another to really make your mark and develop through the years.

Would you say it’s a more personal album?

I don’t know about it being a personal record, I don’t think there is such a thing. I think you’re so emotionally engaged and emotionally involved in what you do as an artist when you write the songs. I don’t know if it’s more personal than Rockferry, but of course through the experiences I’ve had, I’ve possibly learnt to become a bit more eloquent and direct.

Did the success of Rockferry make you more confident?

I think I’ve become more convicted, but whether or not I’ve become more confident I’m not sure. I don’t think I will ever be confident, I think that would make me too self-assured. Being confident as an artist is a dangerous quality.

Your success means you’re often in the gossip pages. how do you feel about that?

I don’t really pay attention actually. I like to form my own opinion of myself. If I was searching for myself in others, I think I would be very lost, even more lost than I have ever been, so I just shy away from it to be honest. I do my work, I keep my head down and try to avoid any speculation.

You’ve travelled a lot in the last three years. is there anywhere left for you to visit?

We never did get to go to Brazil. Brazil and probably the Antarctic are the places I wanted to visit. I know that in Brazil, the response to the music is tremendous. I could probably play a gig to about 60,000 people out there, but I just haven’t had the chance to go. I can’t wait to party in Brazil.

Do you get homesick when you’re away?

I obviously long for the finer things I used to experience; being on an empty beach, walking, just me and my thoughts, but that said, I never have any regrets. I don’t yearn, I don’t really look back; I’m constantly looking forward.

How does your family feel about your success?

I’m still the daughter, still the sister and still the friend, but my family and friends always knew this was going to happen. I think my determination was something that couldn’t be measured. I don’t know why I wanted to belong in music. I don’t know what pushed me forward; I still to this day don’t know what I’m looking for, but they knew I was going to succeed, or die trying. I think they just had to wait in the wings and see how fate would take me.

You’ve got a long-term boyfriend, a house and two dogs. does this kind of normality help keep you grounded?

I think stability is really important for anyone.

The finer things that keep you grounded and make you feel safe wherever it might be, so for me I definitely feel as though I’ve got something to hold close to my heart, even when I’m thousands of miles away. You have to have something to feel connected to.

Are you going to be touring this year?

There is a lot of talking behind the scenes about what I would like to do, live performances and tours, and it’ll be at least February before we announce anything. That’s to allow others to live with my record, to allow people to have it in the background for a bit, so we can all stick together.