I wondered how people would take me being a country music singer. I thought about deviating from that and singing other things. But... it doesn't really make sense for me to try to be something that I'm not.

Figure out what you want, how you want to feel, whatever your motivation is, you have to figure it out. That's step one: where do you want to be? The next thing is just trying to get there and cutting yourself some slack along the way. You're going to have days when you veer off your path, then just get right back on. We all have cheat days, holidays, or celebrations, whatever or period when we can't work out as much as we like, and just do the best you can and when you can get back on track, get back on track.

My hometown is extremely supportive of me and I feel blessed to be able to create something as a way of giving back; to say thank you.

God put us here, on this carnival ride. We close our eyes never knowing where it'll take us next.

I do not like people touching my underwear. That's just weird! I travel with a washer and dryer, and I like cooking on the bus, too.

'Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On' was my anthem as a child. It was about me. I was Baby.

American Idol transcends age, gender, ethnicity, everything.