Top 40 Quotes & Sayings by Manika

I am pop, but like to shake things up a bit - funky things people wouldn't expect.

It would be pretty awesome to hear Eminem singing 'I'm a Good Girl'. Haha! Love Eminem!

I know it's a guy thing to chest bump, but me and my dancers chest bump before hitting the stage. Not too hard though...ouch!

I've always loved both writing and songwriting. The journey is fascinating to me.

It's really important to me that my sound is a combination of beats and melody. I love hearing strong, confident beats in music because I love to dance. At the same time, melody is really important to me because I love singing.

My book 'The Exciting Adventures of Boo' was first published when I was fifteen. It is a children's book with ten different stories. In each story, the main character Boo learns a lesson - one of the ten most important lessons I learned as a kid. I also donated all the money from my books I personally sold to my local ASPCA Animal Shelter.

When I'm on stage, it's like a different world ... me connecting with the audience. It's a surreal experience.

I wrote my first book when I was 15 years old. And my second book '1,2,3 Publish Me!' shows everyone how writing a book is done in just the three secret editing levels I discovered!

The thing that can get kind of annoying is, when you travel so much, how hectic it gets. I was being interviewed once - it was a phone interview - and they said, 'Where are you right now?' and I didn't know where I was.

'Just Can't Let You Go' is a song about passion. It's when you have such a strong passion and love for someone or something that your heart just can't let it go. Whether it's a special boy, girl, or that feeling you get when performing on stage or playing a sport. For me, my passion is music. I just can't let it go!

Nothing can stop a great song, so just keep songwriting.

When I was 17 years old, Frank DiLeo saw my very first music video and flew to my hometown of Las Vegas to meet with my family and me. Frank told my dad, 'I am coming out of retirement to manage one last big act: Manika.'

The number one thing I look for is personality. For me, the personality of someone makes them more and more attractive over time ... and for those with bad personalities, less and less attractive. I look for honesty, intelligence, kindness, and a good work ethic, to name a few.

I can't even imagine life without music!

I'm part Filipino, part Japanese, part Chinese, part Malaysian, and part Spanish, and all those people, they love their karaoke. So whenever my family got together, we'd all karaoke.

Growing up, my parents always played artists like Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith and Michael Jackson, so I just grew to love their music. And I just love so many diverse artists for different reasons; some for their instruments, some for their edge, some for their vocals.

Alanis Morissette - I love how she's not afraid to say what she wants to say. Love it or hate it, she's going to say it. And her vocals are crazy; they're amazing, and I also love how her music is really organic.

I had the opportunity to go and read to cancer patients in hospitals and saw how something as little as that could make someone's day. I also think it's important to support people who are standing up for a good cause, so that's why I get involved with different campaigns and charities.

Growing up, I was so shy, but it was weird because I was the complete opposite on stage. I was just free to be myself.

If I weren't a performer, I would be still be writing and songwriting. Plus, I also really want to get into producing.

One thing I really love in my single, 'Just Can't Let You Go,' is the beatboxing; I think it's really cool. Also, in my music, I'm not afraid to say what I want to say. I also think it's relatable for other girls out there.

Music has always been my passion for as long as I can remember.

I always have melodies flowing in my head - whether I'm just at home, at the mall, at a restaurant or wherever. I'm always humming along to the random melodies that form in my head. My friends always ask me, 'What are you singing?' and I'll be like, 'I don't know!'

I have always been involved in my school's music program.

My iPod will shuffle from rap to pop to rock to classical ... It gets confusing!

When I'm about to go on stage, and I look out and just see the fans filled out in the arena, all pumped up and screaming - that gives me butterflies! I just love that feeling, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, it's gonna be a great show!'

'Don Quijote' by Cervantes. I read the original Spanish version when I was in high school. Such a classic!

I just love to dance. Pretty much every night, I'll just turn on the radio in my room and dance like crazy.

When I was little - like in preschool - I was very shy, but whenever I went on stage I just exploded. Ever since then I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Music has always been a part of me, music is my passion.

I get butterflies in my stomach before I perform. I love them! They let me know I'm ready to perform, that I'm ready to rock out on stage.

It's always amazing seeing the song-writing process. A song just starts off as just an idea or a story you want to tell. It keeps building and building when you add the lyrics, the instruments, the vocals until you finally reach the finished song other people can enjoy.

I approach song writing three different ways. One way is where I write the initial melody and lyrics first and then take it in to the producer to collaborate. Another way is where the producer sends me his initial musical track ideas and then I write the lyrics and melody over his track. The third way is where we just jam out in the studio and see what we come up with.

I've always been an all around creative person. Song writing and writing are great ways for me to express myself.

It's really important to me that my sound is a combination of beats and melody.

For me my passion is music. I just can't let it go!

I get my inspiration from everyday life, things people my age are going through in life, good and bad experiences.

I like playing an array of different roles. From the fun, comedic roles to the serious roles. It's always fun to play the role that either closely represents your own personality or the role that is completely opposite of yourself.

I always have melodies flowing in my head - whether I'm just at home, at the mall, at a restaurant or wherever. I'm always humming along to the random melodies that form in my head.

I love hearing strong, confident beats in music because I love to dance. At the same time, melody is really important to me because I love singing.

There are so many different musicians I look up to for different reasons - from hip-hop to rock to pop. Some are Alanis Morissette, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne.