I always have to pretend I'm somebody else to give the best performance. It kind of feels like I'm acting; it's definitely an exaggerated version of me. I'm a very normal, down-to-earth person, but I wanted the videos to be striking, so I have to lay it on a little bit.

If I make a song where I'm happy, I sound completely mad - I think my voice is better-suited for sadder songs.

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 dress in a sophisticated and classy way - I always dress in a way I know my mother wouldn't be embarrassed to see.

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

I love Barbra Streisand and Sade who've both had careers in soul and I want my music to have that timeless quality that isn't necessarily now.

American fans want to meet you, and they wait for that autograph by the stage door. In the UK, it doesn't really happen that much.