Estelle

“Parents, raise your kids. Young men and women, raise your kids.”

“Garage music came up when people weren't paying attention.”

“I wear what I feel and what makes me feel happy.”

“I always have to get my U.K. fix, and 'Downton Abbey' is definitely that. I absolutely love period dramas, but this one is particularly appealing - following the ins and outs of aristocracy as well as the interaction between the rich and the poor.”

“With the first album, I wanted to do so many different things, and I was fighting with myself to try and see if I was worthy enough to do it.”

“I always say, 'There's a difference between cooked food and McDonald's.' Your mom's homemade dinner - you enjoy this more than you enjoy the fast food that comes along and goes, and I strive to make homemade dinner every time I put out an album.”

“A lot of scarves are made to stand out and therefore not appropriate on your head, say, at work.”

“I'm so sick of hearing that U.K. hip hop doesn't get credit and success when I'm working to get it - for me and for others, too.”

“Collaboration is the way to go. It's very timely and fun to do.”

“A lot of my girlfriends are always telling me they're really strong independent women, but they've got their boy on the side, and they only go over when he calls.”

“I'm so, so full of joy that America elected Obama. He didn't win because he was black - people voted for him because he had a plan and because he talked sense and because you believed him.”

“Sometimes I wake up in the morning and feel like going straight back to bed. But I still have to get up and work, and I still have to take advantage of the chances I've been given in life.”

“I've still gotta come across as happy when inside I feel crap!”

“Law became boring, but like every job I've done, it helped prepare me for a career in music.”

“I remember being, like, the age of 7 and just always being in control of something or someone, a baby somewhere. I had lots of cousins and brothers, and we were all taught that's how you are, you know. Things don't just run themselves; you have to make them run.”

“If I don't agree with something, I let people know, and it occasionally leads to tension. But I usually iron things out.”

“Americans have their issues with skin colour, even within the black community, with light and dark skin; it's crazy - but no one's oblivious to it.”

“My songs are always about overcoming things, whether it's breaking up with a guy or just trying to be happy. They're always about being better.”

“People like the shows I do. I want to be real, to have fun, even when I dance on stage... it's a buzz.”

“I will never say I am committed to somebody unless I'm serious about that person.”