Empowering girls is extremely important to me because, growing up, I needed those empowering women to show me the way. When my parents divorced when I was 11, my mom was a force to be reckoned with. She showed me how to be self-sufficient and independent.
Cassadee Pope
I would say, maybe from five years on, I sang on stages constantly. That's what I call my natural habitat: It's a place where I feel most like myself and the most confident, the most excited.
I really love my True Match concealer: it is great if you just want to cover some spots, and you don't have to cover your whole face. I don't really like wearing a face full of makeup all the time; I just like covering up the spots that I am a little self-conscious about.
Growing up in Florida was really amazing. I spent most my time at the beach.
A few girls would be catty and say that my voice sounded really high, and I sang like a chipmunk, I got a few prank calls about that a few times. But it didn't really bother me that much. I think I was so focused on music that nothing could break me or get in my way.
I started singing when I was four years old; that was the first time I took a voice lesson.
For 'Hey Monday,' there were songs that I co-wrote with songwriters or producers, but our last EP, the whole band did everything together. I've had a lot of experience with co-writes, which is basically what I'm doing now. I am writing things on my own, but I really believe co-writing makes you a better writer.
I feel like Nashville has really embraced me with open arms. I was a little worried at first; you know, everybody knows about my immediate past, which is rock music. But everyone is coming to find out that I've been singing country music my whole life.
Growing up, my parents loved Bon Jovi and Boston and Rush and all that, but it wasn't really connecting with me. I was still in my boy-band phase - Backstreet Boys for life!
I love country and rock, and I wanted to fuse them together. But I also knew that there were certain elements that needed to still be there to be both country and cater to my old fans.
I actually started singing country music at 4 years old, right when I started learning how to sing. I would cover a lot of Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood, that kind of stuff, and it just feels very authentic to me. It's always been there through the years. Even when I was in my band, I still listened to country.
I didn't go onto 'The Voice' thinking I was going to go country. I went into it with an open mind and thought whatever happens, happens.
I always want to pick songs that are really crazy rangy, and sometimes those low notes aren't there. But I started taking it way more seriously after a certain point, and I started doing vocal warm-ups every day, even when I wasn't singing, sometimes twice a day.
My style is kind of all over the place. I've always loved the combination of leather and lace, but that's probably just been something that I fall back on if I can't really figure out what to wear.
I would never say I think divorce is wrong. After seeing what my parents went through, I would never want them to stay together just because they think it's the right thing to do.
It's funny - it's called 'The Voice,' but I sure as hell didn't have the best voice on the show. I'll admit it.
I always felt in my band and in the pop-rock format that I wasn't weird enough, that I wasn't standing out enough. Wearing things to get people's attention - I didn't want to do any of that. I didn't want to compromise myself.
I always felt different because I didn't pick one specific clique or group to be a part of, and I didn't choose one thing to be. I cheered, sang in chorus, was in student government, played in rock bands, went to dirt races in western PA... My interests have always been diverse.
I have ventured out and written about real-life experiences that I haven't gone through myself, but I've known people to go through them. In the past, I've always written about my experiences and people related to that, but there's a lot of other things that I've never written about that people have gone through.
When I was 17, my main goal was to be in a band and travel the world. I ended up getting to do that with my old band Hey Monday. I got to see the world and learn how to tour, and the next thing I knew, I was on 'The Voice.' So it was just a crazy, crazy ride.
I'm not the best at expressing my feelings other than in songs or on paper.
The 'Hey Monday' songs were always glammed up to be this big production, and I definitely want there to be some bells and whistles like synth or drum loops, but for the most part, I want a simple yet powerful production.
There's something about being onstage, singing my lyrics to somebody and them either listening and receiving them, or singing them back to me, that I just can't get enough of.
I love when people cover songs that are familiar but have been kind of forgotten about.
I still struggle with my low notes. It's just always been something for me: I'm not a low singer. I have a really high voice.
I've always kept writing. There's never been a moment where I went through a spell where I just don't write.
I'm pretty hard on myself when it comes to my voice, and certain notes I'm afraid to hit because I'm afraid I'm going to sound bad.
I had always dreamed of starting off in pop radio and crossing into country. I used to sing country; that was my genre when I was a kid.
When I was around 13 years old, I started playing in bands and became obsessed with Blink-182 and Newfound Glory. I didn't pay attention to country music anymore; I wanted to do more pop rock stuff.
Anytime I can watch television, I usually do the reality show stuff unless it is, of course, 'Breaking Bad' or 'Homeland.' Then, I am all over it.
I grew up singing a lot of Martina McBride, Shania and LeAnn Rimes, and because of my age, those were my main influences.
I went the more pop-rock route when I was around my teenage years, actually around 13 years old. I think Avril Lavigne really jump-started that. I heard 'Complicated,' and I fell in love, and I've loved her ever since.
It doesn't bother me that people think that Blake Shelton made me go country, because I can understand it. My immediate past is pop-rock, and people don't know a ton about me as a kid - yet. They will soon.
I would tell my mom, 'Sit down. I'm gonna play a show for you!' I would just perform. That was always something I loved to do. There was never a question of me doing anything else.
Before getting on 'The Voice,' I was very critical and judgmental of people's vocals. After getting on the show, I was so nervous, I realized my low notes were gone, so nerves do take a big toll on your voice.
I think you can only prepare yourself as much as you can, but no matter what, there will be curve balls. I had no idea I'd be taking a flight, landing, and heading straight to a radio station. I thought I might have time to curl my hair, have something to eat. No! You go right into things.
I love 'Ocean Avenue' by Yellowcard. That's always been one of my favorites.
The hardest part about touring is being away from family and friends. When you're gone for a long time, it's especially hard for me to remember to keep in touch with certain people because there's so much going on on the road.
I have never wanted to hide my freckles. I just didn't like the way I looked without them; it didn't look like me.
I came from a private school, and public high school was the first time I ever went to a public school. So I went into it very preppy; I was wearing a lot of Abercrombie and Hollister. Then, my sophomore year, I started listening to rock bands. I had a boyfriend that took me to my first rock show, and I was just addicted to that.
I am writing things on my own, but I really believe co-writing makes you a better writer.
You have to be really, really confident in your decision to marry somebody. I don't think my parents were stupid, but I do think maybe it was rushed. But if they hadn't gotten married, my sister and I wouldn't be here. I think everything happens for a reason.
Don't be afraid to not be OK. For a lot of people, when they get upset about something, they keep it bottled up, and that's the worst thing you can do.
My advice to anyone being picked on for being different or for working towards a dream is to remember it's never personal. These people don't actually dislike you at heart. They're just going through difficult things in their own personal lives.
We're all complex creatures, and we shouldn't have to pick one thing to be passionate about. Life isn't black and white, so we shouldn't live that way.
The first album I owned was probably a Backstreet Boys album, and shortly after was Shania Twain.
Growing up, I tried to be involved in school a lot, and I had good grades. I was an active kid, and I loved being social.
I just always loved the storytelling aspect. Even with the production that's happening right now in music, I still think the core of country songs are very stripped down, and they tell a story in the most pure sense.
It's something that I've always done. I started singing when I was four years old; that was the first time I took a voice lesson. I would say, maybe from five years on, I sang on stages constantly. That's what I call my natural habitat: It's a place where I feel most like myself and the most confident, the most excited.
I've learned to really just trust my gut and to go with what I really feel inside.
