Jessie J - Jessie J Gained Focus Through Illness

Jessie J Gained Focus Through Illness

Jessie J's health problems gave her career perspective.

The 'Price Tag' hitmaker - who was diagnosed with a heart defect as a child - suffered a minor stroke when she was 18 and says her time in hospital gave her more focus on the direction she wanted her music to take.

She said: "I'd just been signed to Sony, got back from America and was sat in the hospital thinking, 'Woah, hold up a minute, why did I have a stroke?' It made me realise that, whosever you are, wherever you're from, however many times a day you run or whatever you do eat or don't eat. s**t happens and you get ill.

"When you're sitting there thinking, 'Will I walk again? Will I sing again? Will my right side go back to normal?' you think, 'I haven't got time to waste now.' And that's when I kicked into gear and didn't take any s**t from anyone.

"I said to the record company, 'This is what my album's going to sound like and you're going to stop trying to put me in a bikini next to a rapper.' "

Jessie is dedicated to her career and expects the same commitment from the people she works with.

She added to Britain's Glamour magazine: "I don't like doing anything I haven't worked for. It's not easy, but life isn't supposed to be easy.

"And it's a mutual thing. If people don't work hard on my team, then you're not on my team."