With all the chaos, pain and suffering in the world, the fact that my adoption of a child from who was living in an orphanage, you know, was the number one story for a week in the world. To me, that says more about our inability to focus on the real problems.

I want to be like Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, and John Lennon... but I want to stay alive.

I know I'm not the greatest singer or dancer, but that doesn't interest me. I'm interested in being provocative and pushing people's buttons.

One thing I've learned is that I'm not the owner of my talent; I'm the manager of it.

Be strong, believe in freedom and in God, love yourself, understand your sexuality, have a sense of humor, masturbate, don't judge people by their religion, color or sexual habits, love life and your family.

Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another.

I hate nothing more than feeling rushed to write a song or feeling like I have to write a song.

Of course I write from experience, but I also do write from things that have happened in the world.

In Long Island, people care about how much money you have. Even I did when I was growing up. I never wanted kids to see my mom's house because I was embarrassed that they'd tell everyone, 'Oh, Madison's mom is poor!' And she was definitely far from poor.

I just love music. I think it's art.

People would expect me to be this ditzy, bubblegum-pop girl. I was selling myself short.

When I was 13, I posted a video of myself singing a Bruno Mars song on YouTube.

It's important to drive your own ship, and it's your career, so you might as well take it by the reins.

I'm very much focused on my career.

I love unisex perfumes because men don't realize they're attracted to the way that other men smell. I'm like, 'I smell like a dude right now, and you don't even know!'

When I do sultry, bronzey eyeshadow, my eyes look greener, and when I wear dark or black colors, my eyes get a lot browner.

I'm from Long Island, which is a very cookie-cutter place.

I'm never on my phone, really.

I always said that I want to sell out Madison Square Garden before I turn 21.

I feel like, with makeup, I really picked it up on my own. There's no one really in my family - my grandma is probably the closest - who loves makeup like I do.

I like a lot of weird songs.

I stopped using make up wipes, and it made my skin so much better. They messed up my skin big time.

Im not big on make up. I only have a make up artist for events.

There was a time in my career when I felt like I wasn't being true to myself. I was being moulded into an artist I wasn't, and I knew I had to do everything I wanted to do. I think that's an issue a lot of women face, and men do have it easier in a lot of ways.