We live in an epidemic of self-hatred. I see it daily with people coming at me, and they do it to everybody, it's not just me. The hatred is really stemming from them not liking themselves. When you look at it that way, I feel so much empathy and understanding for those people.
I signed my deal when I was 11, and the success I had, no one could explain that to an adult, what's about to happen to them, much less a kid. There's not many people around who've experienced that.
I don't earn my money from trying to hurt people or get in the tabloids.
Keep your sense of self; don't get caught up in what people want you to be.
Hopefully people will grow with me, because I'm definitely not going to be stuck in one place all my life.
I know society these days, I know people are wanting to find everything they can to pick things apart, but I have to write from my heart and my experiences, and I fully own them. Those are mine to share.
I think I'm realizing I've always been able to move people, just getting people to talk.
What people don't understand is that it wasn't about Dean or Eddie, it was about whether or not I was in the right place.
The funny thing is the songs that people think are about me probably aren't. And the songs that are probably are the ones they wouldn't think... so that's where it kind of is funny.
I am incredibly emotionally aware and connected with other people. You know, when you come see me live, you can see that different kind of connection and that connection with what I'm saying, and the things I'm singing about. So it really is about just keeping my eyes open.
People are so quick to judge and make decisions for themselves about situations they know absolutely nothing about.
Everyday something new pops into my mind: I could do this next or I could do that next. I want to grow more and more and show people different sides of myself, whether it's different kinds of music, different kinds of movies, or different kinds of television.
I'll get into conversations with other people, and all of a sudden they will say something that sparks that... either the titles to me, or just the conversation itself will spark an idea for a song.