Quotes from Nadia Ali

I think I've always wanted to be different from everybody else. I get really annoyed when I do something and everybody else does it too, or if I'm doing something that everybody else is doing.

I love Chicago. It's one of my favorite cities, hands down.

It's never good to compare yourself to anyone, whether it's professional or personal. There is always somebody better, more talented and powerful out there. There is no point of getting sucked into all that.

I think being an Asian woman has been more of an advantage than a disadvantage. It helps me stand out from the rest of the entertainers out there. Again, being from such an ethnically diverse place like New York, you get comfortable and confident with being different!

I feel the best part of my job is meeting my fans at my shows and seeing their faces when I'm singing to them on stage.

Since I was a child, I always loved music that made me want to dance. As a teenager, I used to dance the night away to electronic music.

I love music in general. It's like girls and their clothes and shoes; when you love shoes, you love shoes. So, for me, I think it's a really dangerous thing to say I'm going to write the best dance song in the world.

If a woman's aim is to become a singer, I would highly advise her to first develop her craft in songwriting. It's such a powerful tool to have when you're a singer.

As a person, I believe that I am sensitive, which helped me be the artist I am.

My daily routine would include waking up very early, usually around 6:00 A.M., going for a workout or hike, and getting on with my day. I always just try to keep every day as productive as possible.

It's funny because my mom is not a singer at all, nor is my father. But I definitely get more of my father's tone.

When you are pursuing art, it is critical to develop something signature. There are plenty of people who are followers, but it is absolutely necessary to have something that sets you apart.

I love the Middle East and have been lucky enough to visit a few of the countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Jordon and the U.A.E.

I think what makes me stand out from the rest is my melodic style combined with my voice, which has a distinct character to it.

Personal relationships are usually my biggest inspirations for writing my songs. The best way for me to write a song is to visualise the story in my head, and I start humming a melody, and before you know it, a song is born.

I've tried to maintain a certain bit of originality in that I don't want to necessarily sing like a soulful gospel singer or like an ethereal Celtic singer - I never wanted to be pulled into any one direction.

Whether it's Memorial Day or any other holiday, music has the power to set any mood and build long-lasting memories.

I certainly considered DJing. I bought four vinyls, and I bought some turntables, and I was like, 'Um. Yeah. I'm not gonna do this. This is not my thing.'

I am definitely a spiritually centered person and that is usually one of my biggest guiding lights beyond music.

I write my songs many times to chord progressions on a piano. Unfortunately, I can't keep playing the piano, so I just record it into the software.

Growing up where I grew up in Queens, you have the United Nations all around you.

I feel like I'm always performing in Vegas around Christmastime.

The advice I would give to girls from Eastern backgrounds who are interested in the arts is that it is always beneficial to get your academic studies out of the way before going into the competitive world of the arts.

I believe the most attractive thing about a guy is his personality and the way he views the world. I'm not into bad boys. I like the sweet sometimes even shy guys.