I like to think of myself as the people’s pop star a little bit. I respect Lady Gaga so much, and I love what she does, but she has this kind of mysterious, out-of-reach thing. I’m just not that – as much as I’d love to have that sort of mystique, I think I’m kind of an open book.
The question I love to get asked is: ‘What’s the hardest part of your job?’ And literally, the answer is probably real sad, but it’s to just to be me. Like, it’s really hard, because I think people, you know, have a set idea of what a pop star should be.
I’ve always wanted to be a pop star of sorts because I love the whole touring gig.
When you’re a pop star it doesn’t mean you just get free stuff.
There was just this stage where I realised that people were listening to what I was saying and I could actually say something I believe in and, like… why wasn’t I doing that? It’s not because I think I have a responsibility as a pop star or whatever; it’s because I think I have a responsibility as a human being.
I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan’t pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very very strange.
In that sense, I became politicized because the people in the coal mining villages who were involved in the struggle knew why they were there. But they couldn’t understand why some pop star from London would want to be there.
Since becoming a pop star, I’ve experimented a lot more. I’ve gotten more creative with what I wear. My stylist is a bit more adventurous than I would normally be, but it’s really worked, and the colours really work together. I think everyone should be a bit more confident: if it’s a summer’s day, wear some bright colours.
It’s weird, man. I’ve had a weird life, and I don’t want to end up on the dole. I’m fed up with the plumbing. And I think it would be good to be a little pop star again.
If you think about it, I was at college, and then three months later, I was a massive pop star. It’s stress-making, especially when you’re a bit of an oddball as I was, the black sheep left to your own devices, and then suddenly everyone’s interested in you.
When I was seven-years-old I discovered the Spice Girls. I fell in love immediately, and I decided I wanted to be a musician myself. This became my goal and my biggest passion to strive for. And so I dressed up as a pop star at Halloween 1996.
I need all of my songs while I’m writing them, because I need to get the stuff out of my body and out of my brain. I write out of necessity, not because I want to be a pop star.
I don’t think that I’m a pop star. On paper, I’m bad at being a pop star with the conventional idea people have.
I would love to be a pop star!
I wanted to be a doctor originally; that was my realistic dream, because I knew how to get there. Being a pop star was my wild dream, a fantasy – there was no direct route.
A nice pop star would do you nice on one of those deserted islands.
Here in England, everyone’s a pop star, innit, whereas in America they believe in the term artist.
As a kid, I watched every Madonna documentary and tour. I was obsessed with her – and with any pop star of the ’80s.
One Direction. Proper pop band. There has to be a band that people want to scream at. I don’t think I’ve ever behaved like a pop star.
The biggest crime in England is to rise above your station. It’s fine to be a pop star. ‘Oh, it’s great, lots of fun, aren’t they sweet, these pop stars! But to think you have anything to say about how the world should work? What arrogance!’
Listen, my dad left me, my mom is crazy, I’m from L.A., a pop star dumped me three times and I’m an actress who gets rejected constantly.
I’ve never really spent too much or put too much gravity or placed too much importance on being a pop star. It’s like, OK, great, does that mean I don’t have to do anything anymore except walk around and be a pop star?
Madonna is the ultimate pop star of all time, hands down. She wrote the playbook for it. There is no female pop star – and probably few men today, for that matter – who are not indebted to her in one way or another for her contributions to the industry.
People have said I’m too fat to be a pop star.
I’m not good at being a picture-perfect pop star, happy all the time. If I’m having a bad day, I can’t pretend. I’m always a bit unhappy, but that’s just me. I like dwelling in my sadness.
I never really told my parents that I wanted to be a pop star or anything. They just knew that I was totally obsessed with music. Funnily enough, my father always used to say that he didn’t think I could sing.
The guys that do have the confidence to hit on me are not necessarily my type, but they think they are because I’m a pop star; I sing songs, do movies. I like to feel sexy and confident on stage.
We were overwhelmed by how much the first album connected with people, but I wouldn’t put us in the ‘pop star’ realm.
My whole point is like, well, if I’m the pop star, then it should be whatever I am. There’s, you know, room for Katy Perrys and Adeles and Rihannas and Lady Gagas and Ke$has and me and Pinks. I think what’s great about all of us is that we represent something different.
I never minded being thought of as a pop star. People have always thought I wanted to be seen as a serious musician, but I didn’t, I just wanted people to know that I was absolutely serious about pop music.
I’d love to be a pop star – at heart.
Actually, I find it embarrassing being a pop star. I prefer it when people just treat me like anybody else, although occasionally there is a side of me, which is indulgent and I expect certain things because of my position. It’s one of the perks.
In front of a big group of people, in front of cameras, to be in my body and be in that moment, I feel the way that I’ve always wanted to feel – like a real pop star who is not holding anything back.
I love anything by Tchaikovsky. He was the real pop star of his day.
When you think about it, Adolf Hitler was the first pop star.
When I was growing up, Brandy was TV star, reality star, a pop star, a Cover girl, Grammy winner, had her own Brandy doll, and was the first African American to play Disney princess Cinderella. Most importantly, she is a survivor. Many only judge and remember a person’s most recent failure.
A nice pop star would do you nice on one of those deserted islands.
I think, especially in pop culture, we’re brought up to think that a normal pop star is this pretty, well-kept-together girl.
To be honest, for me, my main workout is when I’m on stage. Even though I make pop music, I don’t think I perform in the classic ‘pop star’ sort of way. I’m very active on stage; I always end up dripping in sweat afterwards. It’s always like a full-on, wild performance, so that’s pretty much like my exercise, I would say.
I would love to work with Drake. I think he’s such a pop star, and he’s dropping amazing songs.
Every actor I know wants to be a pop star.
I don’t really plan to be a pop star; I just want to be able to make music without the whole My Dad thing hanging over me, which everyone in my position goes through.
The reason why I’m not a pop star is I would have hated it. I’ll stick to being an artist. I’m not trying not to be commercial; I am just doing what I do. I have finely tuned tastes, and that gets prioritized above everything else. That’s just how it is.
I changed my mind about being a famous pop star when I realised that it meant I’d never be able to get on the Tube again.
When I was 16 I told my dad I wanted to be a pop star. He told me, ‘I’ll give you until the end of the summer. If you’re not earning money by then, you’re going back to school.’
I’ve always gone back and forth between acting and music, but for music I’m not trying to be a pop star – I just like to do it.
The representation that I always go back to is a pop star – whether it’s Lady Gaga or Madonna, I love the way those women in pop music have always made an effort to create a specific vision.
I used to be into Bjork and PJ Harvey, and they used to blow my mind. But there hasn’t been a pop star blowing anybody’s mind.
In my heart, I want to believe I shouldn’t give up anything to become a huge pop star.
The hardest thing about being in this business is just being able to be yourself. People act like there’s this one set of rules to follow to be a pop star and I think, ‘Well, you say I’m a pop star, so maybe that’s not true.’
I’m not thirsty. I’m not a pop star. I don’t want to reign over all forever… I don’t want to be famous! It makes me feel sick, the thought of being a famous person. It’s just not me.
You need a bit more to be a pop star than just a good voice.
I’m not the ideal pop star, not what you see on TV. I look like I could be your best friend.
I’m not a shiny pop star.
This obsession with celebrity culture is really unhealthy. I don’t want to live my life like that, and I don’t want to be a typical pop star.
If there is a good musical reason, I think it might draw more attention and sell, though it is not guaranteed. To make a record without a musical reason, you have to either be a pop star who sells automatically or just be lucky.
You realise that having a number one record and being loved and adored isn’t the most important thing in the world. But at the same time, I don’t have a problem with it. What I’m trying to say is, I’m not a reluctant pop star.
