SADE ADU

I'm not shy or reclusive. I just spend my time with people rather than journalists.

I'm not anti-fashion, but I've always had a bit of a punk attitude. That's important, I think. I do my own thing.

All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!

I have no technical training and am completely uneducated in music.

London was a really multi-racial city ... It's incredible how comfortable people are with race there.

I think you only really feel like an outsider if you've been an insider.

I'm uneasy with fame so I do my best to avoid places that will bring me more attention.

The anxiety I feel when I'm late is nothing like the anxiety I feel when I'm on time.

Most of my lyrics are little stories about my experiences or those of my friends.

I've got absolutely no real perception, properly, of time.

I look a lot like my father and his mother.

I'm not over the top; I'm not wacky. I'm fairly understated, and that reflects in the way I sing.

My father was a very difficult man.

When I go into the studio, I completely detach. I let my emotions come out.

I always said that if I could just find a guy who could chop wood and had a nice smile, it wouldn't bother me if he was a thug or an aristocrat, as long as he was a good guy. And I've ended up with an educated thug.

I always see myself as much more of a musician than a celebrity.

To be a mother you must be strong. Even if you don't feel it, you have to pretend.

I just aspire to pick people up. That's my ambition.

I can't see myself just endlessly singing the same songs over and over again.

There isn't a class structure in Nigeria; there's a tribal structure and prestige as far as money is concerned.

People generally let me be me. People are aware that I'm not someone particularly begging for attention. They hold back a bit with me.

I love writing songs.

My daughter and stepson are really broad-minded.

If you're only making an album every 10 years, it better be good.

People are so used to having their lives filmed, they're not even conscious of having cameras around. I still have that sort of suspicion when a camera comes out. I view it as a thing to fear.