Sometimes when you least expect it, the tables turn and that scary feeling that has taken hold of you for so long somehow turns into hope

I love Sara Bareilles. She’s just so clever. I wish I were her. She’s so awesome.

I really like the European carols, and I like that captivating sound that they have that isn’t usually in Christmas songs.

Before ‘American Idol’ and all this stuff, I was obsessed with music charts, and I used to go online to find out what was popular in other countries. I’d log on to the BBC website,...

I’ve never had a celebrity crush! I don’t believe in those, really. I feel like you have to get to know the person before you start to feel anything like that. People always think they...

I don’t think songs have to be like these super-#1-smash-hit-sounding songs, because I think it’s more important that it’s like, ‘Hey! This is coming out of me. This is something I connect with. This is...

All my mom’s side speaks Spanish. I speak to my grandparents in Spanish. Slowly. And they’re patient with me! But I do speak with them in Spanish and carry on conversations with them.

My whole family has been such a great support, and they’re the ones who have kept me grounded and allowed me to be who I am today.

I like cartoons. I like ‘Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.’ It’s funny! It has things that kids wouldn’t get. It’s like, if you’re mature, you get it. I like that and ‘The Fairly OddParents.’

You’re reaching outAnd no one hears you cryYou’re freaking out again’Cause all your fearsRemind you another dream has come undoneYou feel so small and lost like you’re the only oneYou wanna scream ’cause you’reDesperateYou want...

Relationships are about helping motivate each other to be all that you can be.

I really wanna do a Spanish album. I have that Latin culture background. It’s a part of me. I’m not the best Spanish speaker, but I have a longing to connect with that. I just...

What I’ve learned is that music affects the way you feel. A song can change someone’s life.

What I find is really interesting is the Ear-Nose-Throat doctor thing, which I know would take a lot of work and education, but it’s something that really interests me, because it’s something that helps people...

I like to believe that you don’t need to reach a certain goal to be happy. I prefer to think that happiness is always there, and that when things don’t go the way we might...

I want to figure out what kind of artist I want to be, because with the ‘American Idol’ process, it just works really fast. The night of the finale, they said, ‘OK, here are all...

I definitely want to do music for the rest of my life. So I just want to make sure that I’m doing music in the way that I feel is the way I need to.

I made up my mind not to care so much about the destination, and simply enjoy the journey.

It’s so important for girls to respect themselves and not put themselves down and say, ‘Oh, my life is horrible,’ and ‘I’m not pretty enough.’ How do you know? There’s this energy people give off...

Especially now, with ‘Glee,’ it’s allowed a lot of kids to love music and performing at a young age. All ages watched ‘American Idol,’ but I think it was nice to be able to show...

My mom is just someone who’s easy to talk to and hang with. My sister, it’s always cool to be able to help her out with things. My brother is fun when we’re just joking...

I knew people liked me on ‘American Idol,’ but I didn’t think they’d care to come see me sing at my own show.

Without inspiration, we’re all like a box of matches that will never be lit.

There’s a lot of really talented people in Utah, people who would really make an effort to make the music the best that it could be and as emotional as it could be.

I want to make sure that I make music that lasts. I’ve been experimenting. I’ve been writing.

…I started to realize how many great things could happen by confronting the things that scare you most.

Despite whatever commercial kind of success you might have or radio success, I don’t want to do something just to get as many people as possible to listen.

If not music, I think it would be pretty cool to be an ear, nose and throat doctor.

It’s cool when people notice that you make an effort to live certain values.

I like the pop music, but I still want to have meaning in my music.

It’s the boring things that mean a lot to me. I enjoy taking my sisters to eat. Or sitting watching TV with my family.