Ciara
It's sad how people want to see us females go against each other. Never been for that. Never will.
I tell myself that water is my medicine and that to stay well, I have to drink a gallon of it every day.
You know those days when you think you have to have a plate of pasta right now? When I'm trying to be good, I take a minute to ask myself, 'Do you really need to eat all this crazy stuff? It will still be around if you want it later.'
As soon as the doctor said I could start training again, I was on the treadmill the very next day. Once I got back into it, I worked out two or three times daily.
Being a mom has changed me forever.
Honestly, I feel like everything in life happens for a reason, and my son has been the greatest gift that God has given me in my life and been the most game-changing thing that's happened to my life, in a necessary way.
I like to stay happy, and I like to live life light and make the best of life.
I think that when you carry a certain kind of energy, if you have, like, a funky energy that you hold within yourself, you just can't grow.
You live and you learn. My son has given me so much clarity.
Sometimes you get bored of the same moves, but you know that there are those moves that those fans love.
I don't curse when I talk. Unless I'm mad.
I never had vocal lessons, dance classes, or any of the things my peers had.
I learned everything along the way. I only performed five times before I was in the public eye.
I don't see myself beneath Beyonce and Jay Z; I don't see myself above them. I'm in my own world, hungry to grow.
I actually have two songs I did with Nicki Minaj. We didn't even plan on doing it that way, but it was an organic connection and just a really solid connection she and I had musically.
My dad's my nanny, so he spends a lot of time with me in L.A. when my mom's in Atlanta.
My fans have grown up with me and seen my life change over the years, from a young girl with 'Goodies' to a full-grown woman and now mom.
I've had purpose because I've always wanted to be successful, but having my son is the cherry on top. He makes me go harder in achieving all that I've dreamed of.
I never understood when people would say, 'I would die for my child,' but you become so selfless.
As an artist, I think it's important to always keep growing, and I definitely want to keep challenging myself.
I definitely want to get more active in the film world. My experiences I've had thus far have been really fun, and I definitely feel my best is yet to come in that world.
I don't know - I don't listen to the radio that much. I really am an old-soul kind of girl.
For me, I like old-school rap music. There was a time when music was so, so rich overall, and the content of what people talked about was so deep on every level, song-for-song, pound-for-pound, and on radio, there was so much content. I gravitate more towards that type of music, to be honest.
I do not like going to the dressing room and trying on millions of outfits. I just look at something and hope that it will work. I try it on at home, since I don't like going through the whole process.
I'm a military baby, so I kind of always see the world as one; we just have different colours, and we're from different places in the world.
When I shop, I only do it when I really have to do it for something. I don't like to try on clothing like that - as much I love looking fly.
I love when people have their own creative vision, when a person stands out and tries different things.
There's nothing better than when a man is in tune with who he is.
I believe a person's style is an expression of who you are - way more than dancing.
Vocally, I'm definitely pushing out more. That feels good. It's very freeing. I've always been very private and consciously private. Now it's kinda like, 'Who cares.' I'm gonna be free and gonna be me. I feel good.
I've always had a strong love and a sense of care for kids. And the one thing is evident and is so true - the kids are our future.
I'm such a perfectionist. I can be like, 'This has to be like this. And this, and this and this.' But then you realize a lot of things that you thought mattered, they really don't matter.
My inspiration is European fashion. I'm really into Euro fashion, and I also love rock n' roll. That's the mentality that I like to have when I'm dealing with fashion.
I don't believe in bright, cheesy colors that are applied from roots to tips. I'm not really into that. But I love the more fashion-y way of adding color to your hair methodically.
I love the Fashion Fair Concealer Wheel. That's my little secret. It comes with three colors in it. What I like about it is that you could almost cover your whole face in it if you want because you can mix the colors to create the perfect shade that works with your skin.
I use Revlon waterproof mascara. And then I love a smokey eye when I perform because I think it's important to make your eyes pop when you're on stage.
Moms, take it from me: do not buy your baby too many shoes when they're so tiny, because their feet grow every week.
Juggling being a mom and an entertainer is a challenge I face every day.
Being a mom to my son has taken precedence over everything in my life, and I think that's the order it should be... It's a great challenge that I don't think's ever gonna stop.
As long as I know that I give my best every time, I can sleep well knowing that.
No one is different from the other. I'm very grateful that I have a diverse group of fans as well. We welcome individuality over here in my world, and I think that my fans can see and feel that.
It's just so cool when you meet people who are different than you are. That can give you a different perspective, a viewpoint on life, or inspire you. I mean, what would the world be like if we were all the same? I think it would be very boring.
When you believe in yourself, and you always give 100% in a relationship, you're very confident in the value of your love. But for some people, there's that feeling that the grass is always greener.
I don't believe in being vengeful or trying to send a message to someone. You waste your energy that way.
I have to be tough in my work environment and tough in the world.
I've had my ups. I've had my downs, but I've been able to push through every obstacle that's been thrown my way.
Music that comes from the heart - that's the music that moves me.
You hear women talk about it all the time, like when you turn thirty, 'That's when it all came together for me, girl.' Honestly, that's what I feel.
Being a mom, I can't imagine my child not having a meal. That's hard to digest.