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I had no desire to be famous; I just wanted to make the greatest music ever made. I didn't want anyone to know who I was.

It sounds odd, but I was a singer and started writing songs, and I didn't have anything in mind. Maybe it crossed my mind that it would be cool to have a hit record and a career, but that was so out of reach that I don't think I thought about it that much.

I was never in the business of trying to put my name out there - I was really focused on music and records and being in the studio.

I built a reputation as a songwriter in the industry before my own hits. People were used to coming to me for songs. There were songs like 'Clown' and 'Mountains' that were my songs that I wanted to keep. But the record labels saw me as a songwriter. It was hard to get people to believe in me as an artist.

I always saw myself as a singer-songwriter, a solo-artist, that's why working with other artists was never satisfying for me.

I came out to L.A. to be a songwriter and not an artist, and I'm so excited because I always secretly wanted to be an artist.

With my quick success, I didn't have time to learn the ropes of the music business. Because my first record was such a hit, I was terribly spoiled and I thought I couldn't do anything wrong. I was also desperate to make tons of money because of my responsibility to my daughter. And there was no longer any joy in making music.

The music sold itself before anybody knew who I was.

A lot of people think I came out of nowhere. When you start as a songwriter, nobody knows who you are. I met the guy who wrote 'Yeah' by Usher, which was a huge smash, and nobody knew who he was.

I think songwriting was the biggest way that I found my identity.