“And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while.”

You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.

I could sing you a thousand and one doo-wop songs. I love the simplicity in that music. It’s not super-poetic, it’s just from the heart.

I don’t like two stories. I like one story. I never grew up with stairs. I like to stick to what I know.

I don’t try and be dark, but there are obviously darker emotions that I want to capture sometimes.

When it’s your time, it is your time.

Treasure, that is what you are.

I think I don’t take myself too seriously. You know as far as, it’s a fun life. I take my music serious, but I like to have fun.

I think that success is having fun.

Every time I try to write a song, when I sit down and think I’m going to write, I really want to write a song, and it never works out. It’s always when it hits me unexpectedly on a plane or right before I go to bed, something like that.

To write a song you must have an imagination, to have an imagination you must be free.

If I was a billionaire, I’d be smart with my money.

Becoming famous was never what I wanted to do. There’s a lot of things that come with fame – it’s what people in the limelight have to do.

Songwriters, you have to work – you have to wait for residuals. You have to pray that the song’s going to be a hit. And then a year later, you might get a check.

People can hear my songs are coming from something real. I mean what I say; I’m not just writing to impress critics or young girls, or older girls. The way I talk is the way I write a song.

My dad was just the king of finding these little spots for us to stay that we should never have been staying at.

There will never be another Michael Jackson, a huge pop star since (the age of) 7.

She is not exactly wonder woman but nevertheless she is a woman full of wonders.

Lord I’m on fire they think that I’m Satan.

I don’t ask anyone else to live my life. I have enough trouble doing that.

When it comes to swag, there’s no gender involved.

I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets.

Hate me for who I am, I don’t care. At least I’m not pretending to be someone I’m not.

It’s not art for art’s sake, it’s art for my sake.

Despite the lack of colors, she was a work of art.