It was important for me to duck out of the fast and furious life I'd been living as a pop star. I was in a different mood.

I am confident that, in the end, common sense and justice will prevail. I'm an optimist, brought up on the belief that if you wait to the end of the story, you get to see the good people live happily ever after.

At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. Now I realize I can get direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion.

Being more mature now, I've managed to make peace with my past, as it's making peace with me. Certainly there's a mutual gain for reflecting on both phases of my life, and although I consider the here and now perhaps to be more important, there are still many people who appreciate my past ephemeral stages and the lessons they represent.

You can argue with a philosopher, but you can’t argue with a good song. And I think I’ve got a few good songs.

Some extremists take elements of the sacred scriptures out of context.

It's hard to get by just upon a smile.