Chrisette Michele played the “Goodbye Game” on last night’s “Lopez Tonight.” The blonde-haired songstress looked elegant in a floor-length gown as she belted out the tune from her third album Let Freedom Reign, while two ballerinas danced behind her.

“Thank u to Mr Lopez and the amazing band, my beloved ballerinas and my darling back up singers Saks fifth ave my makeup artist and my mother,” she tweeted. “It always feels good to articulate exactly what you want through a song and art… I did that today with the help of great people.”

Chrisette Michele colors outside of the lines and it’s apparent in almost every aspect of her life. The 27-year-old chanteuse isn’t afraid to rock a red lip or keep her hair as short as the rappers she’s sung beside. And she’s never felt comfortable acting like a sheep just for a paycheck. Perhaps her mission to lead and not follow has much to do with the reason she’ll have three albums under her belt by the end of this year. Her newest, Let Freedom Reign, is a collection of tunes showcasing the ills and thrills of love. Songs like “I’m a Star” and “Goodbye Game” are prime examples of Chrisette’s ability to marry soulful vocals with stories of the heart.

But even if her words sound familiar, her actions for the new year will be anything of the sort. “[For] 2011, I’m feeling very rebellious,” she reveals. “I’m looking forward to not doing what I’m supposed to do. I’m looking forward to not following any rules. I don’t want to do what anyone tells me to do.”

As she sits in a plush chair, sipping hot chocolate on a frigid November afternoon in New York City, Chrisette is warm and welcoming. The Long Island gal isn’t the type to give a brief explanation during a conversation; she articulates herself in a manner where no one feels jipped on the answers she provides. Rap-Up.com gets inside the R&B child’s head as she reveals the song Drake was supposed to appear on, her chemistry with Rick Ross, connecting with Nicki Minaj over Twitter, her admiration for Kanye West, and her style icons. Uncage the songbird below.

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Chrisette Michele says “Goodbye Game” on the second single from her third album Let Freedom Reign (Nov. 30). The mid-tempo ballad sees the Grammy winner playing the hero, kicking her man to the curb for being a zero. “Why am I so forgiving? Why am I always checking for these fools?” she questions over an electric guitar and stomping beat.

In related news, the soulful songstress took to her blog to vent about last night’s Soul Train Awards. “An award is winning at being as ‘stuck in a category’ as possible,” she wrote. “Congratulations to all the trophy holders who won at being the most like everyone else.”

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Chrisette Michele’s heart sings out on “So in Love,” a snapping cut from her new album Let Freedom Reign (due Nov. 30). The R&B songbird feels overcome by her emotions, shouting her love from the rooftop. Her frequent collaborator Rick Ross falls under love’s spell, comparing his lady to Basquiat’s artwork. Find out what happens when love takes over.

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Chrisette Michele says “Goodbye Game” with the second single from her third album Let Freedom Reign (Nov. 30). The short-haired R&B star boldly stares into the camera wearing feathered neckwear on the cover artwork. The follow-up to “I’m a Star” goes to iTunes November 16. “Goodbye to baggage, you ain’t bagging me,” sings Chrisette on the kiss-off anthem.

Chrisette Michele liberated her first mixtape Love Thy Brother earlier today, but she’s also holding it down on the visual tip. The R&B singer has unleashed the Armen Djerrahian-directed video for “I’m a Star,” the lead single off her third album Let Freedom Reign (Nov. 30).

Splashed across the tabloids, Chrisette pores over her image before linking up with her man in the ’50s-inspired clip where the pair drinks cocktails before the songstress heads off to a movie premiere.

“This is a video about a star girl who decides I don’t have to love another star to be cool or to be famous, I can love whoever I want,” Chrisette previously told “Access Hollywood” on set. “This is about the freedom to love whoever it is you decide. And I love, in this video, my driver.”

See stars by watching below.

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Her third album Let Freedom Reign doesn’t hit stores until November 30, but Chrisette Michele is giving her fans an early treat with the release of her mixtape Love Thy Brother, a collaboration with her brother Lem Payne. The R&B songstress compiled leftover songs from her studio sessions and assembled them on this freebie, including the tracks “90210,” “Freedom,” “Dear Miss Audrey,” and more.

“OMG! THE MIXTAPE IS SO KEWL THE RECORD LABEL IS PUTTING SOME OF IT ON MY ACTUAL ALBUM!!! BUT I WANNA GIV YOU SOMETHING FOR FREE!!!FOR LOVE!” tweeted the “I’m a Star” singer.

Stream or download Love Thy Brother below.

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Chrisette Michele goes Hollywood with the latest release from her mixtape Love Thy Brother, dropping tomorrow. This time, the soul singer puts her spin on Wale’s “90210,” namechecking fellow singers and contemporaries that make her want something better for herself. “Keri Hilson’s got me wishing I was cooler/ Like Beyoncé at a Nets game or Jay-Z at the jeweler,” she sings.

“So, i asked my bff @wale if i could hold his TV track to this record one day after driving down sunset in my truck and thinking about this fantastic place called Hollywood,” she wrote on her Tumblr. “I’m a lover of life and people and sometimes i just wanna understand what we all think is important. please enjoy my true story ’90210.’ yeah i’m a nerd….”

Live the celebrity dream by listening below.

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