You can't take yourself too seriously. But always have conviction.

A lot of people forget that R&B put hip-hop on, R&B put rock on.

I just think that Jack White is the consummate artist - an artist's artist. I'm a huge fan.

I think what I bring to the table overall is a sense of my own individuality, especially in the urban-male spectrum of what is here and now.

Most people know my music based on the singles, and think of it as scandalously romantic. There's definitely a romantic vibe, but I often sing things that are very direct. I don't beat around the bush much.

The extremes of who I'd love to be onstage are David Bowie, Prince, and, I don't know, Bjork.

I feel that as artists - whatever your medium is - I feel that we're watching what goes on around us and we take what we don't see, or we don't hear, or we don't feel and we do something that speaks of it; more about it, for it, or against it - whatever our perspective is - that's what our job is.