I think in order to accomplish anything in life, you have to visualize yourself there - accepting the award, hearing your song on the radio, whatever it is - or you lose the willpower and the drive.

It was like I was Hannah Montana! I was a normal girl from Pittsburgh one minute and then a pop star the next!

Write down everything you can think of, no matter how stupid it seems. I always write down my thoughts throughout the day. Sometimes good things come out of it, and I'll find an idea to develop into a song, so my best advice is to try and draw inspiration from everyday things.

I used to daydream in class about what it'd be like to be a singer. It's what I wanted to be ever since I was little, but I never knew if it'd happen or not. I was just a normal girl who was doing all the things teenagers do, but on the side, I was attending music camps and going to songwriting sessions.

I flew home to Pittsburgh, and my management called me to ask if I wanted to perform on 'Dancing With the Stars' with Charlie Puth. I'm like, 'What? I grew up watching the show!'

I should be, right now, a normal 17-year-old sitting in class in high school. Instead, I'm recording, and it's so exciting for me. I can't imagine anything I'd rather be doing right now.

You should never be put into a mold based on your gender.

I'm a classically trained jazz pianist - I've been playing since I was 3 years old.

I listened to a lot of Amy Winehouse: her albums 'Frank' and 'Back to Black'. She was such an incredible artist. She was just so raw and had her unique sound; she paired jazz with pop and was so soulful at the same time. So I pulled from her a lot in the beginning.

We're all humans; we all go through phases.

First Lady Michelle Obama - I admire her confidence, integrity, intelligence, compassion, and her overall vibe - she is such an inspiration.

When I'm playing live, I'll rip out a ballad from my album, and I'll play that solo on the piano, which feels really good because it kind of takes me back to when I was younger.

Music has been a huge passion of mine ever since I started playing the piano at age 3. Going to concerts, performing on my own, and listening to my favorite artists growing up confirmed that love for music and made me want to pursue it as a career.

People should be allowed to roll out of bed and go to an interview; people shouldn't be telling you, 'You can't curse because it's not ladylike.' I don't believe in those standards.

As soon as 'Hide Away' came out, it was like everyone knew who I was, and I started getting all this attention. It was hard to get used to at first. I just remember that I suddenly couldn't walk down the hallways without hearing a classmate or teacher playing it - it was unreal!

I honestly just hope to continue creating music that people can relate to and connect with in a personal way.

I love Rihanna's style. It's a good mix of streetwear and show wear, and I love her music, too. She's an incredible singer and performer.

I would love to collaborate with Chance the Rapper. I love his lyrics and his sound and everything.

Coldplay's 'Mylo Xyloto' tour was incredible.

I have been taking voice and singing lessons since age 10 and originally got into it because I was really interested in musical theater. After writing my first couple of songs and performing at age 14, I knew that I really wanted to be a singer.

I grew up with four sisters - four very talented and intelligent sisters - and two parents that were very supportive of whatever we wanted to do.

I had maybe 200 followers when I started. A bunch of radio stations were like, 'Uhhhhhh, my daughter has more followers than her'.

I've always been a songwriter.

I would like to work with Ed Sheeran at some point. I really admire his songwriting, and I just think he has a great voice and great artistry. Who else? On the producer side of things, definitely Diplo: that'd be awesome.

I did a show with Tori Kelly, and it was really cool that I got to meet her. She has always been a huge inspiration of mine, and I'm obsessed with her voice, so it was great to get to talk to her about the industry. The best advice she gave me was to just be myself.

I have a lot of creative control, so I can decide what I want to wear, what I want my brand to look like, what I want my songs to sound like, so I don't sound like some fake artist that people can't relate to.

I think the first concert I attended was Coldplay with my dad when I was around eight years old.

I think I have always been a hard worker in school and in sports and everything. Growing up, my parents encouraged me to do that from day one.

I'm really excited because Interscope is really focused on artists. They've been working side by side with me creatively and allowing me to make a lot of the creative decisions, which you don't always hear about. That's why I didn't want to sign originally with a major label.

My music reflects my strong belief in equal opportunities for all - specifically young girls and women. Many, many children do not have anywhere near the opportunities that we kids did in my community - great schools, public safety, etc.

I wouldn't use a song I didn't think was my brand or image.

I'm a fan of H&M, Topshop, and Forever 21.

Because of my interest in songwriting, I was invited to visit a friend in L.A. for songwriting sessions with him and his friends. We wrote six songs by the end of the weekend, and 'Hide Away' happened to be one of them!

My dream collaboration would probably be Sam Smith.

I think the most important thing for an artist is to stay true to who you are. I want to stay as authentic as possible, as that's how we're going with our team.

It's always pretty amazing to hear your own voice on the radio.

I think 'Interscope' always puts the artist first, and they're focusing on these artists' development. I felt like that was a part of my career that I kind of needed to focus on after having come from the radio and getting exposure that way. I wanted to grow my brand and grow my fanbase, and they have proven to be the best fit for that.

I've just gained so much confidence in the booth since the 'Sit Still Look Pretty' era. I'm working with really talented producers and songwriters who bring out the best in me.

I've always just kind of been a single-minded person.

Music was always a huge part of me, but I always did it on the side. I didn't even take any music classes in high school... it was more of an extracurricular thing.

I'm on the road constantly. I'm a nomad. I don't really have a home right now. I don't identify with one place in particular.

I like to create something that's unique and kind of true to myself and authentic and everything. I don't really like to mirror myself after different artists.

I try to share a lot of my life on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, everything. I really like interacting with fans on Twitter and answering their questions and just getting to know them because it's cool for them to have people who are connecting with my music reach out and show interest.

I never wanted to be a feature - that was never the goal with my music. I didn't want to just live through other people's work.

Girls shouldn't be afraid to look messy. They shouldn't have to always fit in with the pretty girls. Our goal as women is not to impress guys.

I love having a major label behind me. Independent was really great to start off, as and I made some really big moves and gained a lot of fans.

I'm a quarter Indian; my grandfather's originally from New Delhi.

I feel like I get all the good parts of college, cause I just college hop on the weekends and party with them, but I don't have to do any of the school part or the work part.

I have four sisters at home, and both my mom and dad worked, and both of them took care of us. It wasn't like my mom was fully domestic, or my dad was fully domestic: they were just equals in their relationship. So I grew up with the perspective that women should be pursuing their dreams and not have to depend on a guy.

All my friends are usually at festivals... I just have so much adrenaline running, I literally could run a marathon after my shows.