UrbanWire

"It's been so wonderful, so clean and the people have been so sweet. It's really beautiful and I really like it. The fans are also very dedicated fans. It's amazing how committed they are to the music even though I've never really been here before. A lot of fans in a lot of countries won't really get into your music until you come to their country, so they've been very patient."

Dressed as casually as any typical teen, in a long-sleeved off-white and brown top with jeans, Stacie's maturity far exceeds her 18 years. Having been in the music business since she was 12, the American native "grew up going to school on a bus and on a plane, and kept up with friends and family very differently, than just getting to see them every day".

At that age, she was already interacting with people much older that her, yet she has no regrets over her atypical youth, stating that she is "very thankful for all the opportunities [she's] had".

"I feel even though I am not living a normal teenager life, I am still normal. I still like to do normal things like going out with my friends, going to the movies and shopping. It hasn't totally changed me as a person."

Growing up in a Christian family, Stacie's morally upright values are intact and she isn't about to compromise her standards to fit into the mould of her peers in the industry. For Stacie, there's got to be more to life than just what teen idols are singing about.

Admitting her initial reluctance to join show business because "You see too many artistes whose lives are destroyed because they go into the showbiz," she changed her mind subsequently.

Determined to be a positive role-model, Stacie says, "I hope that I can show teenagers in life make good decisions, be smart, work hard, achieve your goals, and still be a cool person. You don't have to be a dork to achieve those things.

"You can have the best of both [worlds], and you can be fashionable and like clothes without being trashy. It's about finding that balance and music is such a great way to communicate that."

Citing Lauren Hill as one of her biggest musical influences, Stacie confess to liking the singer very much because, beyond the good voice and music, are songs that have taught her life lessons and she hopes to make music that will touch the lives of others as well.

"There were so many successful female artistes out in the market to whom all these little girls were looking up to. They were dressing, acting like them, dancing like them and singing all the words to all their songs, but the messages that those female artistes were bringing to those little girls were so wrong. They make these little girls feel like the only thing that made them important is their sexuality."

Not that she enjoyed Christian music either growing up. Stacie confesses that even though she grew up in a Christian home, she found it was too boring for her. "It was cheesy, and sounded out-dated," and so she would listen to secular music instead.

"I didn't really want to listen to dirty music, but it sounds a lot of cooler, so I would listen to it instead, so I really wanted to make music that's fun, exciting, and wasn't too preachy."

And in making her album, Stacie sets out to find the balance between good music and positive influences, making "entertaining music that you can listen and dance to all the time but is also saying something more important than just partying and sex".

And even though she may not always have the answers, she feels that being a teenager herself, her fans are able to relate better to the things she is singing about, such as peer pressure, first loves, friendships and heartaches.

"Even being able to admit that there are struggles in my life as I'm growing up, through my songs, I hope I'll be able to encourage and help other people."

Stacie on her ideal life partner [audio clip coming soon!]
Stacie on what a good relationship is [audio clip coming soon!]