Allow the artist to finish the piece of work before you critique it.

I dabble in the jazz world, which is male-­dominated. If you had two women playing together, it became a shtick. It becomes a "girl group," and it has to be something cutesy. That's hard to contend with.

No one knows anything for sure.

Music is my only guide. I don't care if people pigeonhole me. Miles Davis is my hero. He covered Cindy Lauper and Michael Jackson, and he didn't give a hoot about what the purists said.

I tried to be as positive as possible, because I have the same birthday as Michael Jackson. He is my cosmic brother. I love him.

I'm pushing ahead on my own - you no longer need a large record company to make you a star.

I'm always tryin' to do something new, tryin' to look like a beginner.