I've written a song for Prince. I never showed it to Prince, but just to see if I could do it. At the time, when I sort of knew him, he was recording a song a day. I wondered if I could do that. So I wrote it.
Everybody wants to write a hit song, but in Nashville people want to write the best song, which was my original intention as a singer/songwriter.
I didn't move to Nashville with any inkling or dreams of getting a record deal. I didn't have those stars in my eyes. I just wanted to take a break, relax, and figure out songwriting.
I've often said to young songwriters when they want to write with me, 'Let's take a stab at ten songs, and we might get one really good one.'
I don't sit there writing songs, thinking, 'This would be good for Rihanna.' I don't want to be pitching out like that.
I feel like I'm always just trying to write better music and keep topping myself.
It's pretty funny to me when I hear people say, 'I write six songs every day,' or, 'I turn out a song a day.' I bet you that's a whole week of bad songs.
I was always trying to write standards, songs that anybody can sing. I figured that's where the money was.
My motivations are thinking I can write better songs, that the concerts can be better.
I never feel like I need to make a song that sells 5 million copies; that's not the point of why I make music. It's great if that happens, like it did with 'Clarity,' but my goal is to always make a better track than the last one.
I listen to a lot of Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears - the songs just stick in your head and that's what I want to achieve with my music.
