"In this lifetime, if there is anything you need, it's a best friend."
Those are Lea Michele's words, highlighted on top of a beautiful photo of the Glee star and her bestie Jonathan Groff, in the latest issue of Teen Vogue. The cover star's interview was done in a somewhat unorthodox fashion, with the magazine handing off the reigns to her BFF Groff.
"I sat down with Lea in Venice, California, at one of her favorite restaurants, Gjelina, to talk about her life and her debut album, and to ask the questions only a best friend is allowed to ask," Groff wrote in the piece.
Along with gushing over the astonishment of a city girl like Lea and farm boy like Groff ultimately becoming the greatest of friends, the two talked about a very sensitive topic: Cory Monteith.
Got to take some great pics with my best friend Jonathan Groff! @TeenVogue #Cover pic.twitter.com/9tEnLxQ78V
? Lea Michele (@msleamichele) January 28, 2014While fans mourned the death of the young actor who played Finn Hudson on the hit Fox show, they also witnessed Michele lose her onscreen-turned-offscreen boyfriend. During the interview, Groff asked her, "...Watching you go through what you went through, I saw you exhibit so much strength. Where do you think that strength comes from? I can't comprehend it."
And her answer was simple: Cory.
"I somehow feel the insane love Cory and I had for each other morphed into this strength that I have right now. There's just something about knowing he's watching everything I'm doing and feeling like I have to do everything now not just for me but for him. I also have a safety net below me—if I fall or if it's too much, my friends and family will be there to catch me," Lea explained.
Since Monteith's death, Lea has immersed herself in work, including the upcoming release of her debut solo album Louder (hits stores Feb. 28), but the actress talks about her late beau's constant support and excitement for her venture into pop music.
"He was such a fan, you don't understand. He would be like, 'You're going to be a pop star! What are we going to do? Are we going to, like, go on the road?' He would say, 'This is going to be big!' And I'd be like, 'I don't know.' He heard every song and gave me his notes on everything. He loved 'Battlefield.' I'm getting chills thinking about it. I would say 'Burn with You' was his favorite. He came into the studio that day," she said.
Lea has been sharing a few of her singles off the album with fans in the past few months, and just released "What Is Love," the fourth song off of the record, after the title track "Louder," ballad "Battlefield," and her current single "Cannonball."
The new song will be available to purchase on iTunes starting on Tuesday (January 28), but take a listen to the track below and tell us your thoughts!