Cassadee Pope

Growing up, I tried to be involved in school a lot, and I had good grades. I was an active kid, and I loved being social. ”

Growing up in Florida was really amazing. I spent most my time at the beach. ”

Empowering girls is extremely important to me because, growing up, I needed those empowering women to show me the way. When my parents divorced when I was 11, my mom was a force to be reckoned with. She showed me how to be self-sufficient and independent. ”

Growing up, my parents loved Bon Jovi and Boston and Rush and all that, but it wasn't really connecting with me. I was still in my boy-band phase - Backstreet Boys for life! ”

I actually started singing country music at 4 years old, right when I started learning how to sing. I would cover a lot of Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood, that kind of stuff, and it just feels very authentic to me. It's always been there through the years. Even when I was in my band, I still listened to country. ”

Before getting on 'The Voice,' I was very critical and judgmental of people's vocals. After getting on the show, I was so nervous, I realized my low notes were gone, so nerves do take a big toll on your voice. ”

The more people do hear my music, they do realize that I'm being true to myself. So there is that conflict, but I think more and more, people are realizing I'm just being me. ”

In the past, I've always written about my experiences, and people related to that, but there's a lot of other things that I've never written about that people have gone through. I'm still keeping it young and edgy, but I'm definitely putting more of a mainstream twist to it. ”

It doesn't bother me that people think that Blake Shelton made me go country, because I can understand it. My immediate past is pop-rock, and people don't know a ton about me as a kid - yet. They will soon. ”

I don't know if I'll ever feel like I've made it. That is part of the reason why all of us, as artists, are always wanting more and working towards more and keeping busy. There is just so much that we all want to accomplish, and I just have so many goals that I haven't met yet. ”