I wanted to show the world, and myself too, what I can do. I came up in the world of Philadelphia soul, but I'm fluent in a lot of languages musically and I like working with different people from different generations.

I love antique architecture, so if I have any indulgences, I have owned and renovated and reconstructed a lot of old houses.

I was a pioneer in MTV and I was there from the very beginning. So I saw how that developed and how loose it was and how much fun it was in its looseness. And I was influenced a lot by that.

I was just like a 21st century person waiting to be born, and this is the medium that I thrive in. And I feel stronger now than I did any time since I've been a teenager - I mean, musically, creatively.

Traditionally, duos get accused of lots of things.

I have to say I have never been comfortable with somebody else telling me what to do - in any way.

Smokey Robinson is one of my heroes as a singer and songwriter, a major influence on my own music from the very start.