Quotes from Jon Bellion

Sometimes I feel drawn to writing about my shortcomings because I'm chock full of them.

If I can show people how vulnerable and how flawed I am, maybe others will relate.

I was raised on 'TRL' and listened to every genre that sounded good to me, from Sum 41 to Jay Z to Band of Horses to J. Dilla to Deathcab for Cutie to Pharrell.

I wanna make music; that's all I wanna do.

A lot of the album 'The Definition' was made from two things: Pixar movies and J. Dilla.

As long as I don't have to go back to the catering hall and wait tables anymore, I'm very happy.

The way Ben Gibbard paints a picture, you feel like, 'I was there that day with him.' You really feel the way he paints pictures and speaks and talks. It's almost like talk-singing. Paul Simon does that very well as well. He's a huge influence of mine.

I loved everything, but it was Kanye West who really changed everything for me.

I'm fascinated by Jesus and pray to him every day.

I always want to approach records from where it feels very graspable. You know what the song's about, but it's presented to you in a way that's like, 'I never heard something like this before,' but it doesn't push you away.

The first 12 bars of 'Pre-Occupied' explains my entire career.

I have a fan base eager for more stuff. That makes me more than happy. I know I have an army behind me.

At the end of the day, we want love, and we want to feel loved.

When you get a song placed with two of the top stars in the world, like Rihanna and Eminem, especially as a new writer, they're gonna take a huge chunk of your publishing. That's just the way the business is. I'm not complaining.

I think some of the best music throughout the actual history of music itself came from cultures where they're not really looking for outside themes. It's developed from their hometowns - it's what they love and what they love to do.

My brother is 10 years older than me, so whatever he listened to is what I listened to, and it was all rap.

I used to work at a catering hall in Hauppauge. Anybody who works as a server in a catering hall, more power to you, but I wanted to make music.

I'm just a product of the '90s, to be honest.

People can relate more to being honest about your problems, your insecurities, and the things that you find wrong with yourself. Because that's how we really are.

I came to the realization that I'm a child of God, and that's my identity. If this all goes tomorrow, I don't have the proverbial rug under me that can be pulled out. I'm taken care of, and there's someone who loves me.

Rapping was a hobby; when I went to college, there were a ton of dudes rapping. I think that's where I got my rapping chops up.

I was sick of waiting for people to jump on hooks for songs I produced. So I tried singing myself, and I haven't looked back.

When I want to get inspired, I'll put a Pixar movie on silent and listen to Nas.

I'm born and raised Long Island. Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Ben Gibbard - melody-driven guys... They shaped me, molded my music.