New Music: Sarah Connor

After shooting to fame in her native Germany, Sarah Connor now has the rest of the world in her sights.

She has collaborated with Wyclef Jean and songwriter Diane Warren, and the 23-year-old has a new single, Bounce, that has already been a big hit in the US.

BBC News Online asked her about her career, musical tastes and sharing her name with a character from the Terminator movies.

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Describe your music in three words.
Soul, sex, sensuality. It's like a hip-hop, new soul pop mix.

What did you do before you launched your singing career?
I went to school! But I've been singing my whole life: my dad put me in a gospel choir when I was six, and I took singing classes when I was 16. I wanted to be an opera singer originally.

What has been your biggest break so far?
Two moments really. When I was 17 I was on stage with Michael Jackson, performing two songs with him on his History of the World tour. The other was the record deal I signed when I was 19.

Who are your musical inspirations?
Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Madonna.

What has most surprised you about the music industry?
So many things. I used to think it was really glamorous - you sell records, you're famous and you hang out by the pool. But it's a lot of hard work too: travelling all the time, being away from your family, giving up a lot of your privacy. It has its up sides and its down sides.

How are you finding working in America?
A lot of music I love comes from America and I always wanted to go there. I'm excited about it but also really nervous.

Wyclef Jean asked Connor if he could write a song for her

What are your three favourite albums of all time?
Michael Jackson's Thriller, Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life and Wyclef Jean's Ecleftic.

You've worked with Wyclef - what's he like?
He's so great - such an entertaining guy. He's a musical genius, so I was really nervous to work with him. And he wanted to write a song for me, which was even more weird! It was awesome.

Who would you have on the bill if you organised a festival?
Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Pink, Britney Spears, Marvin Gaye.

What is your biggest musical ambition?
I want to be a better musician, work with great people - I'd love to work with Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones - and perform my music all over the world.

How important is chart success to you?
It's important for me that I can do my own kind of music; if people buy my records it's the biggest compliment you can get. But I would not change my direction to get a higher chart entry.

What do you get the biggest buzz out of - recording, writing or performing?
Performing, definitely. I'm not that big of a writer - I like doing lyrics, but I haven't really discovered that talent in me yet. I don't even know if I have it! But I have great producers, so I've never really needed to write. Being in the studio is cool, but you're always looking forward to performing it live.

What do you sing in the bath or shower?
All kinds of stuff - just what's on the radio, from Creed to Britney Spears. But I probably sing like everyone else; I don't care about being in key.

Sarah with baby son Tyler and her boyfriend Marc Terenzi

Which song from this year do you think will become a classic?
I'm totally in love with Yeah, the new Usher song.

Which song by another artist do you wish you'd written?
I Say A Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick.

What is your favourite line from one of your own songs?
It's from Bounce - "You can look, but you know I got the goods."

How do people dance to your music?
It's a big party - I want people to have fun. We have moments when we chill down, and moments when I'm performing with my dancers and we're freaking out on stage. Something for everyone.

Finally, what's it like sharing your name with a character from the Terminator films?
I haven't seen the movie! But as far as I understand she's a really tough chick. She knows what she wants and how to get it, so we definitely have some things in common!

Bounce is released in the UK on 3 May.