I realize that if I were in that situation - living a hard life with people telling them they're not worthy of love - maybe I would be that strong and that brave.

New York is very intense. Every time I go back to New York, I'm starting from scratch. You could have all these achievements - records, a tour - and then you get home and get back to the basics. It whips you into shape.

I grew up on rap and hip-hop and fell into dance music. Hip-hop died down, and I moved more into dance music, disco and house. It feels very natural. My rhythm growing up on hip-hop and R&B was cool, fresh, and I feel comfortable with it.

I think love is important, and loving yourself and being happy and feeling you're worthy of happiness as an individual. One of the most important things is to have the courage to love yourself and share that with the world.

I'd feel more of the pressures of daily life, obsessed about finding a job or love. Maybe I've taken these things for granted. I go through a lot of other things in the music industry, but "daily life" is a whole different war to fight.

I realize that if I were in that situation - living a hard life with people telling them they're not worthy of love - maybe I would be that strong and that brave.

It's different everywhere you go. I'm lucky I'm drawn into people who love and support me. I'm sheltered from that life. I see how all over the world there's so much oppression and pain. I'm living in a bubble.