I don't know if I should say this, but I feel more like a singer than an artist.

I've turned down songs that would be much easier to play on the radio that I don't think should be on the album. Maybe I've shot myself in the foot.

A female vocal can lift a song.

I started meeting the right people, like [producer] Dave [Okumu], who explained to me how songwriting is really simple - "just like shitting," he said. "You gotta let it all out." When he put it like that, however disgusting it is, it made a lot of sense to me.

I like how strong Sade is and how she doesn't give away too much.

Meanwhile, I get to make an album. I feel like I've been very lucky. There is a guilt when I see people I know who work really hard, then I'm like, "Oh, I've got to do an interview today." I'm so appreciative of all of this, but it does feel like the bubble will burst at some point and it will all have been a dream.

I can't eat before I go onstage because I've learnt that burping on stage isn't a good thing. It's all about acid reflux.