Reba McEntire came through town when I lived in Texas. She had this amazing theatrical show with, like, 13 different wardrobe changes. I was eight and I was like, Wow, I wanna do that!

Keep on shining, keep on smiling, don't lose faith, and don't lose heart. When you're crying, just keep trying to remind yourself, you're a shining star, yes you are.

We live in an epidemic of self-hatred. I see it daily with people coming at me, and they do it to everybody, it's not just me. The hatred is really stemming from them not liking themselves. When you look at it that way, I feel so much empathy and understanding for those people.

I know myself, and when you start to really know who you are, you don't question it when you read what someone says about you.

When I first came out with Blue, everyone compared me to Patsy Cline, which is the biggest honor, 'cause I've always looked up to her.

Commitment. Someone who'll go the distance. I need somebody with staying power who'll make me go weak in the knees. Commitment. And everything that goes with it. I need honor and love in my life from somebody who's playing for keeps.

I signed my deal when I was 11, and the success I had, no one could explain that to an adult, what's about to happen to them, much less a kid. There's not many people around who've experienced that.