I tend to overthink things. I'm not the guy who screams 'This is a world smash!' when I finish a song.

In pop music, the public usually see the results - the hit records, the Grammy Awards performances, the concert tours - but not all the work that goes into getting into the spotlight. And not everyone realizes that, even if you have a lot of talent, chances are you won't make it.

You know, my sister sings, my brother plays drums in my band. My whole family is a bunch of musicians.

What I'm hoping is that every album I'm going to do will give my audience something different, and that they'll grow as I do.

My father moved to Hawaii from Brooklyn and my mother came there as a child from the Philippines. They met at a show where my dad was playing percussion. My mom was a hula dancer.

Writing for other artists helped me figure out that magic you have to capture to make everyone connect with a song.

Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent; got kiss myself I'm so pretty.