I personally don’t have the ability to lie about my life, for better or for worse.

I find so many songwriters today are missing an element ... either the production is amazing but the songs aren't, or it's the other way around.

As an artist, you put so much into what you do and it can all be torn down in a nanosecond.

I'm 33 and in my "Jesus year," and I want it all right now. I want a perfect body. I want to have a perfect love affair. I want every member of my family to be healthy and happy. And I want the world to save itself and for America to realize that it has to give up its idea of being an empire. Wait until I hit 40; then it'll all come crumbling down.

I've always gravitated towards opera, and the Royal Opera House is quite possibly the greatest opera house on earth.

Every video I do is over budget by the time I walk on set. I am massively extravagant in my personal habits.

I am under no illusion that I will ever be the greatest opera composer in the world, with Wagner and Verdi and Strauss before me. I think my work could fit very nicely into musicals, though.