People always say, 'There are plenty of black country artists out there! There is Charley Pride! Darius Rucker!' That's all they can name. They don't understand what we go through, and a lot of people who are fans of traditional country music, as they call it, look at us and aren't going to say, 'Y'all like country music.'

Everyone should have equal opportunities and equal rights, but you can't even have an opinion without somebody going off on you. That's what's wrong with this world today.

I try to focus on my fans, who I know have been there since day one.

I have lots of tattoos and am biracial.

I'm used to having to worry every day.

The thing people see about me is my tattoos more than anything, but the color aspect does not help.

I'm biracial; I didn't know that until I was 7 or 8 years old. I thought I was full white, which, honestly, I can't even really say because I didn't see colors.

Once I got to high school and hit my growth spurt, nobody really messed with me anymore.

I grew up without a father figure.

As a country, we can do better. Our home should be a source of stability, not insecurity. This issue is personal for me... even with a steady paycheck, I couldn't pay rent.

That's what country music is: real.

Some people say I'm not country, but they don't really know how I grew up.

My nana was a detective; my nana was a great cop. You also have bad cops that were bullied in school or whatever and think that they have power, and that makes other cops look bad.

I love to sing and never thought I'd be able to do it, and it happened for me.

I feel like everybody has a dream, so why not try and help everybody to accomplish that dream.

I learned that my upbringing was rough, but there's other people out there where their upbringing is even worse than mine. It just gives you even more of a reason to want to help.

A lot of people say I inspire them or I've helped them - kids who have been bullied in school or parents coming up to me because their kids have been bullied or anything that they've went through. It really touches me.

It can beat an artist down when people say bad things about you.

I just like to see people smile.

I just want to help people, especially with the platform I'm on. I try and help people as much as possible.

I'm not a mean person, so it kind of hurts when people are mean to me, but that's life.

I could help a lot of people's kids that are going through racism or getting bullied. That's what I wanna do.

Some people have tried to change me and tell me what to do, but I haven't done it, and it's worked for me.

Chris Young was a big influence of mine, and he's one of my good friends now.

Color does matter, even though people don't see it. I've lived it my whole life. It's just what I know.

I feel like I am the outsider on the inside, if that makes sense. But I have coped with it.

I am naturally slim, actually thin. So, for years I have been trying to get some curves. I tried eating food that would increase my weight, but I only ended up putting fat around my stomach. So, now I have made peace with my body.

Money can't buy everything, but it can buy most of it. Because of money, I could give my parents a comfortable life.

My ancestors are Rajputs from Jaipur, a lineage of the royal family.

Freedom of being alone is intoxicating.

My father is a businessman, and my mother is a schoolteacher.

Imagine: in the medieval ages, there was no evidence of how the history of mankind has been affected by witchcraft. But there is significant factual history of how brutality and sadism of mankind have been displayed in the most obscene manner in the name of witch-hunt.

Modesty is good. But not when it comes at the cost of honesty.

I have been the struggler of the century. Fortunately, everyone loves the underdog.

The glorification of sisters, mothers as the selfless Indian women who will do 'agni pariksha' and the one who sees her own betterment only in the betterment of their husbands and fathers, that has to stop. It's very regressive.

I come from a middle class family, and my parents weren't too supportive of my career choices.

I would never be able to spend all my life in a busy city like Mumbai.

I don't find it humiliating when they call me a psychopath or witch.

I am extremely proud of my rags-to-riches story. It's fun to be a misfit or an underdog if you acknowledge your gifts and befriend your obstacles.

Success is the best revenge. I always feel women should answer back either with their sarcasm or success.

I started from B-grade films, and today I'm the number one actress of this country... whereas other actresses, whom you might call my contemporaries, they have had no growth in whatever platform they were launched... they are still there and have not risen to another platform.

I need nothing from my companion. No money, no financial security, no emotional support, nothing. All I want is the freedom to be myself.

Nobody was my support. You have to support yourself, and I think that is the beauty of being a woman. You can handle anything and be ten times better than men.

Initially, I wanted to do films with A-list actors when I was struggling. I was hoping that I could also get that platform where I'm launched with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Aamir Khan... and with them my career could also start, but it didn't happen. And then came 'Queen.'

In metros, girls are very independent, conscious and aware. But in the interiors of our country, where education is not given importance, they continue to be oppressed. But it is important for every woman to acknowledge what she wants from herself rather than going for what people expect from her.

My parents wanted me to be a doctor. So I took up science, but then realised that my heart was not in it at all. The thought of treating ailing people was very depressing.

Item numbers are not my cup of tea.

Somewhere down the line, I realised that dairy products were giving me acidity, so now I am a vegan.

I am not comfortable walking the ramp for just any designer. I am particular about who I associate with.

I feel that we, as Indians, have a knack for loving a stereotypical, sobbing, sympathy-seeking personality. I feel that we need to promote quirky, cool and youthful talent. We have to stop propagating the sob-story angle of celebs, where they try to be larger-than-life. That is very outdated. It is so boring that it puts you to sleep.