Having a track record to live up to and the history of successes had become a hindrance. It becomes harder to break out of what people expect you to do.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I've frowned at the idea of breaking records, the first one to do something, or do it longer, higher, more difficult.
If you break an individual record, it's because of the greatness that comes before you.
Sometimes when you make a record and it's not successful, you just don't want to go through that process for a while. You want to have your wounds heal.
People are really set in their ways in how they produce records, and I was at least open enough to where I knew I wanted to do something totally different.
In the beginning, I wanted to be successful. I wanted to make and have hit records.
In the beginning, I wanted to be successful. I wanted to make and have hit records. And I wanted everything that went along with it.
The mindset of chasing that next #1 record doesn't exist for me anymore. It's more about being a well-rounded entertainer than being a pop artist. Obviously, it would be wonderful to have a hit record but I don't base my happiness on that anymore. It's about the accomplishment of a project that satisfies me. I just want to enjoy the ride.
Honestly, a lot of people thought that I was on top of the world selling so many millions of records, and that this is the life that everybody would want, but I never got to enjoy any of my success.
The thing that helped me come to terms with performing was an anxiety, a desperation for acceptance. There was never enough positive motivation in my life.
It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.