There were times I was motivated by the fact I wanted to be the biggest music star in the world. Maybe it wasn’t a conscious thought, but it was an underlying theme. I’ve spent a lot of time feeling like I needed to validate so much of who I was by what I did. After I turned 30 I started asking myself questions why. The only validation I crave now is to be inspired in the same way I’ve always been. That’s all I really owe myself at this point. If I stopped now, I could look at everything I’ve done and be so proud.

Esquire UK, December 2011.