Growing up, my dad was a pastor, and much like The First Family or people in front of the public eye, we were highly scrutinized as a family within the church and looked at as - well, I guess you would call an example of what that family image should be.
Acting has always been a passion of mine, so any opportunity that allows me to do that is definitely of interest to me.
I kind of date my musical discovery back to when I was 13 years old, getting my iTunes account and using that as a major tool to discover new music.
I think part of the beauty of being a pop phenomenon is that you're going 1,000 miles per hour, and it's all happening - and that's also the hard part about it.
I see my career as not just music, but as hopefully an entertainer on all mediums, and someone who can have real influence and make great art.
I've been known to drop a spoken-word bit into a song from time to time. But not straight-up rap. I don't know that I have that gift.
As far as One Direction goes, and Mindless Behavior and all the other bands, I'm all for it, and if there's ever an opportunity to work with them, that'd be great.
Being a pastor's kid comes with a lot of pressure and scrutiny. A lot of my dad's sermons were about respect. It was a beautiful way to be taught about love and two people being equal.
Find things you're passionate about, and find others who are as passionate as you are and will focus on giving you an opportunity to shine and to have your moment where you can be in front of others to show what you can do.
I trained myself to not get my hopes up, because there were so many times in the room where you'd be like, 'This feels amazing, this is a hit!' And it never saw the light of day.
I admire Kings of Leon. I think their records are amazing. Just from hanging out with them, I can say they're good guys. It's cool to see that they get to do what they love. But I think they clearly have an appreciation for where they came from, and it has shaped who they are.
I would have studied English, but I really don't like to read.
My first introduction to pop music was probably the Osmonds, the Jackson 5, the BeeGees... Then the Beatles eventually. My father was pretty specific about what we listened to early on.
The tricky thing is, from what I've heard, I'm a bit emotionally unavailable.
I made a resolution in 2010 to stop drinking Diet Coke, and I haven't had Diet Coke since then. I think it was the best life change I've ever made, because I drank quite a lot of it.
I get to wake up every day and create music. And even when it's a tough moment as far as career ups and downs, it's always something you're passionate about, and it's a beautiful way to spend your life.
I think a lot of what you do in acting, and for the most part singing and dancing and everything, is trial and error. It's all about just seeing what works, and if it does, to use it, and if not, to throw it away.
The one mentality I've always tried to have is that no matter what stage in your career that you are in as a musician or a performer or a songwriter or whatever, there's always more to learn.
I've always been quite driven. I take after my father.
I think my favorite song from another artist would have to be 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder.
