My inspirations include the Beatles - love, love, love them - Elton John, Carole King, and Stevie Wonder.

It's a universal story, it's an immigrant story, and it's a love story. In the United States, if you believe in yourself and you're determined and persevere, you're going to succeed.

Sometimes my mother had difficulty communicating with me about certain topics.

Love you all the time, 'cause when I close my eyes, I still can see your smile, it's bright enough to light my life

All I tell artists is, 'Do what you love. Never let anybody talk you into changing what your musical idea is just to try to get a hit, because you're chasing your tail that way. It's not going to happen, and if you're successful, you have to do it the rest of your life. Stay true to it and do it for the sake of the art.'

I have great genes. Thank you to my mom and dad for that one.

Because it's one thing when you - oh, I love this tune. But then when you go to sing it, it's got to have something really personal. Then down to 25, and then to pick the final ones I just picked the ones that were more personal, that had something to do with my life.