I focused more on sharing my gift and performing than worrying about it being a competition.

If I can help encourage or inspire someone out there who is struggling with some of the same or similar issues as myself, then I think it's worth talking about.

In regards to my artistry, I've learned the importance of being vulnerable.

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

My advice to anyone wanting to get into the music business, is always be ready to learn and remain humble.

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.

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.

My songs always tend to have a good element to the story. That is who I am - an optimistic person.

I think my songwriting has developed over the years. As I get older, I have become less afraid to share real experiences.

I always love to support my friends and how they choose to express themselves creatively.

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

The Indian criminal justice system was a market like garbage, Abdul now understood. Innocence and guilt could be bought and sold like a kilo of polyurethane bags.

I can tell you for sure: people who are at their peak right now will not sustain that. You can't. It's against the law of nature.

Even the wisdom of God hath not suggested more pressing motives, more powerful incentives to charity, than these, that we shall be judged by it at the last dreadful day.

The only people who should play for England are English people.

As you look around the country there are still a significant number of states where their whole school debate is over school funding and we've been focused on the quality debate for most of the '90s.

You cannot tell the enemy you're going to leave and expect the enemy to not - and expect to succeed. I mean, that's just a fundamental of warfare.

What's with the poverty Tourette's? Why do these two think we need a hobo for president?

I like to let the actors work the way they want to.

Disobedience that is wholly civil should never provoke retaliation.

For I never have seen, and never shall see, that the cessation of the evidence of existence is necessarily evidence of the cessation of existence.