I am extremely grateful for my 'American Idol' experience, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

As long as children are still getting kicked out of their homes by parents, getting bullied, commuting suicide, et cetera. it's definitely still worth talking about.

Even in the sad songs, I want people to know that it won't always be like that.

My songwriting and overall approach to music go beyond just good singing and strong musicality - I want people, now more so than ever, to feel something and be moved somehow by the content I create.

I loved performing every week, but all of the activities and amazing people we met when we were not filming stick out to me the most.

People relate to you a lot more when you're honest and authentic - and that's hard to do in front of millions of people every week.

I think my entire songwriting catalog reflects where I was in my life at the time. I capture whatever moment I am experiencing in life.