Mandy used to be embarrassed about her music

Los Angeles: Singer-actor Mandy Moore says she used to be so "embarrassed" about her early work in music that she would often end up apologising for it.

The 35-year-old singer, who came

out with her debut studio album, 'So Real', in 1999, said as a teenager, she didn't have the control over her career which made her feel awkward.

"I really apologised for a lot about my early work because I was embarrassed and being a teenager, not having creative control and not fully standing behind some of the choices that were made on my behalf," Moore told Us Weekly.

She, however, credited the "15-year-old Mandy" for her survival in Hollywood.

"The only reason that I'm here today, 20 years later, is because of 15-year-old Mandy and the music that she was singing and how I started out.

"I love her. She's a part of me and always will be and I carry her around. It's important to acknowledge that and have.