You’ve Got Me Feeling Like You’re That

I Was 21. At The Time, I Was Under The Thumb Of My Label, And I Felt Like I Had To Do, Say And Act Out Everything They Asked Me To Do. I Was Trying To Please Them And The Public And Finally I Had To Say, "enough. I'm Going To Make A Record That Makes Me Happy And Addresses All Facets Of Being A Woman. I Don't Care If I Sell One Or One Million Records." That's How I Came To Make Stripped.

I Don't See Makeup As A Defense. I See It As A Creative Outlet. I Am A Woman Who Has My Extreme Vulnerable Side And My Baggage--and At Times I Feel Extremely Weak. And Who's To Say A Little Mascara Doesn't Make You Feel More Confident When You Pop It On And Look In The Mirror? It Helps, Especially In My Position, Where I Have People Waiting Down The Street To Take Pictures Of Me So They Can Evaluate And Criticize Every Little Flaw On My Face.

When I'm Traveling On Tour, One Of My Favorite Things To Do Is To Throw A Baseball Cap On And Go To A Target. The Company Has Always Been Good To Me. They've Got Such A Great Creative Team.

If I Was Having A Bad Day, Or If Something Was Really Getting Me Down -- Boy Troubles, Whatever -- I Wanted To Go Out And Get A New Piercing. It Was Definitely A Release For Me. Something That Made Me Feel A Little More Strong Or Empowered. Because It Was Something That Had To Do With Me And No One Else.

I Embrace My Body, And I Embrace Everything About Myself. Coming Full Circle Is A Celebration Of Freedom And Happiness Because That's What [my New Album] 'lotus' Is Representing. I'm Embracing Everything That I've Grown To Be And Learned To Be.