I'm proud of my curves, my daughter, as well as the harsh past that helped shape me into the strong woman I am today.
La'Porsha Renae
I grew up in Christianity. They preach a lot that you should get married and be a wife and be a virtuous woman and all of that. So I was so eager to do that, and I didn't really take the time I needed to grow into my own. And I ended up running into a really bad situation. I didn't even really date my ex-husband. We just kind of jumped into it.
A lot of my fans wanted a kind of 'in your face' song. They wanted a song that exemplifies me overcoming the situation I was in and just that triumphant kind of song. So, I felt like I wanted to go ahead and get that out of both of our systems with 'Good Woman'.
I can't wait to meet Jennifer Hudson, Tamyra Gray, George Huff, Ruben Studdard, and I love me some Clay Aiken.
A lot of fans have been requesting that in-your-face song, a sense of feeling empowered. And 'Good Woman' is that: a relatable song celebrating the good woman. I'm also really proud of the third verse, which I wrote.
My parents got to see all my hard work pay off.
There was a girl who messaged me and said she was on the verge of taking her life, then 'Battles' came on just in the nick of time.
I stay true to myself, my daughter. I just remember where I came from - I remember what I'm coming from - and then I remember why I do what I do.
Kelly Clarkson definitely reminds me of Motown. She's pop, but she's also very, very soulful.
When I first start writing a song, I usually write the title first, then the song, and I'll sing the song in my head and think of a visual of the song. If I can't think of a visual behind the song, I'll throw the song away.
I do what I do to inspire people. They can't be inspired by an ego, a big-headed person. It doesn't work. It doesn't match. And I really want to be that role model for people, for children. I want to be real. To my fans, I want them to view me as a real person. Don't put me on a pedestal. I'm human. I make mistakes, I cry, I hurt - just like you.
My ex-husband didn't like my singing. He didn't like my hair. He hated my eyes. Everything. Everything he complimented me on when we first met, he just hated.
First time I sang, I was singing Alicia Keys in the bathroom of my mom's beauty shop. I was six.
Sometimes when you do interviews, it gets twisted up.
I decided to be heterosexual because I felt like that's the life God intended me to live.
Everybody is a human being. We should be able to coexist with one another.
I have never spoken for anyone but myself.
A lot of people behind the scenes were telling me that I was going to have to do something with my hair, my weight, all of that stuff.
Labels, boxes, and politically correct terminology all seem small and irrelevant when being compared to the violent and brutal attacks on the lives of people who are different than what society says we should be.
People say a lot of hurtful things, but in a way, the abuse that I endured from my husband prepared me for that. The things I had been told and drilled into my head from him were worse than what anybody could say to me.
A lot of the former Idols were voting for me, and that makes me feel really good.
I learned that sometimes our struggles are a little bit bigger than us and talking about them and coming through and having the courage to get out of them. I learned how many I touched and inspired through the journey of 'Idol' because I was just singing on the show. I wasn't really being an advocate for anything.
The reaction that I got from 'Diamonds' I would have expected to get from 'House of the Rising Sun' or one of the other songs.
Growing up, Tina Turner was definitely one of my influences, and, um, I take things from different artists, and I put them in my music, and I put them in my persona and my - they help me form into the artist that I am, so - for people to actually hear that come through the music is exciting.
My fans are so loving and encouraging. They're with me on good days and bad days.
I don't want to come off as one of those artists that's not down to earth and real.
To be honest, if it wasn't for my daughter, I don't think I would have gotten out of the situation that I was in before 'Idol' because I am a domestic violence survivor.
I had a high school sweetheart that was my first. We were together all through high school. I had just broken up with him because I didn't think I was good enough. He wanted to be an anesthesiologist. I wanted to be an entertainer. His life was more planned out, and mine wasn't.
I have always been a reserved and conservative person.
I really do think that getting the golden ticket for 'American Idol,' it's just the start of something really great.
I'm an old spirit, and my voice tends to be kind of heavy and loud. I've been referenced as 'a young Aretha.'
I would describe my sound as classic Motown.
I haven't always been confident. I actually suffered with low self-esteem growing up. Eventually, I got to a point where I was just like, 'OK, this is taking too much energy.' After that, I started accepting myself for who I was, and I was like, whoever is not going to accept it, they weren't really meant to be in my life in that way.
The kind of artist I would like to be is definitely versatile. I don't like being boxed in or put into a genre, so to speak.
I have a lot of written material, and all of it's different. Some records that I have are country, some pop, some alternative rock. I just write what I feel, so I can't specifically say. I just want to be an artist of truth and an artist that stays true to herself.
What made 'American Idol' different from 'The Voice' and all these other singing competitions... 'American Idol' just gave regular old normal people like me and like Trent a chance.
Some people believe they chose homosexuality, and some believe they didn't. Who's to say one is wrong? It's not fair to generalize anyone's sexuality or walk of life.
We don't have to have the same truths or personal belief systems to love one another and get along.
Anyone is welcome to hang out with me and have fun or sit down with me and talk. I don't discriminate against anyone. And I don't condone hating someone or treating them badly because they live differently than I do.
I embraced everything that I thought would hold me back from pursuing my dreams and used my insecurities to give me the courage to inspire and advocate for others who possessed many of the same insecurities I had.
I come from really humble people. We never had a lot.
A lot of people I guess, well, some people change when they get in spotlights and everything, but you can take the girl out of Mississippi, but you can't take Mississippi out the girl!
When people ask me a personal question, I answer it in a personal way. I can only speak from the footsteps and the shoes that I've walked in.
This is how I feel about the LGBT community: they are people just like us.
I found a belief system that worked for me, and I said, you know what, 'I actually do want to give being with men another chance.'
When people use their hurt and make a triumph in their song, that helps other people.
I love 'Battles,' and I love what it's doing for people.
Although all of us may not agree with that particular lifestyle for religious reasons, whatever the reason is, you still treat each other with respect.
I am one of the people who don't really agree with that lifestyle. I wasn't brought up that way; it wasn't how I was raised, but I do have a lot of friends and a lot of people that I love dearly who are gay and homosexual, and they're such sweet, nice people.
I knew being a musician was my calling when I was 12 or 13. I started singing when I was six but didn't actually see myself being a singer when I was 12 or 13.
