There's been a shift: Country music is popular music now. Every other genre wants to come over to our land.

There's room for everyone. There's room for pop country, for 'rock & roll' country, for stone-cold country, and everything in-between. Great music is great music.

I think the more emotional you are, the better. I'm sort of writing [songs] as I go and I can never tell how it's going to be or how it's going to feel until I get into the studio. But I definitely think it will. I probably can't help but have the emotions in my voice.

My mom was always saying: 'Be whatever you want to be, but stick with it. Don't waver. Don't change who you are for anybody.

I don't know where "bro country" came from or what it really means, but a lot of those guys are my buddies and I ­support their music. Within ­country there are lots of styles: stone-cold country, like Brandy Clark, and there's Florida Georgia Line with what they do, which is completely different and bringing a whole new audience. There's room for everyone.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can. I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

I am proud to be a normal size girl and I want to encourage everyone to be confident at any size.