Tessanne Chin

“When you talk about me having a favorite singer, it's Celine. She is not only one of the most amazing singers, but she is just an amazing person.”

“Music for me is not just being on a stage and singing. It's my coping mechanism.”

“A great song is one that is around even when I'm not.”

“It's lovely to be recognized in your own country, but I feel that there's more.”

“I think anything I do will have an island feel, but I don't want it to be just that; I don't want to be put in a box.”

“Till this day, people stop me in the supermarket, and they're like, 'Oh, we're so proud of you!'”

“Own the stage, command the stage, and don't be afraid to be the best you can be.”

“My mom always said if you have a gift, it is absolutely not about you. So I don't get twisted and think for one second it's all about me.”

“I get extremely nervous before performances. I pray and try to look at it as, 'I'll go out there and have fun,' but it's very nerve-wracking for me. I don't think that will ever change.”

“What I love about Beyonce is she's not a slave to a genre of music.”

“I really hold on to my culture because it is what made me.”

“I think on stage there's a side of me that comes out that's very fierce and confident.”

“I want to make an album with just great beats and big vocals and just amazing lyrics.”

“I think when you are a cool guy but also a hot guy, that makes you even more sexy.”

“I can put in Bob Marley's music now, and it's still relevant.”

“Off stage, I'm very quiet and very reserved and kind of shy.”

“I think a part of being successful or trying to be successful is staying true to who you are. Be genuine.”

“I think a lot of my dreams have come true, and my next dream is to have a No. 1 selling album. A Grammy-award-winning album.”

“I just want to be a wife.”

“Being born in Jamaica, race was never an issue. It was always about the type of person I wanted to be, not the colour of my skin.”