Cher Lloyd: 'X Factor UK' at 16, Engaged at 18, and Still Never Growing Up (In House)

"In my opinion, you're slightly ahead," British singer Cher Lloyd said of the U.S. music scene during her In House visit at our New York office. "Way ahead. And that's not me just trying to lick butt, 'cause I am not that girl to lick --s!" Perhaps sensing her word choice may shock some in the room, Cher halfway apologizes for her "potty mouth." "It's just easier for me to express myself this way!"

But Cher doesn't need expletives to make a statement. After finishing in fourth place on the seventh season of U.K.'s "X Factor" at age 16, her debut album "Sticks + Stones" -- which features hotshots like Busta Rhymes, Mike Posner, and famed producers RedOne and Max Martin -- climbed to No. 4 on the U.K. charts. Now 18, Cher is ready to take the States by storm.

The singer/rapper sat down to reveal her days as a trouble-making school kid, her most embarrassing "X Factor" moment and the story behind her growing collection of tattoos. While she refuses to "Grow Up," Lloyd flashes an engagement ring. Her fiance, her 21-year-old hairstylist Craig Monk, is sitting across the room, blushing. Check out our candid Q&A and exclusive photo shoot with Cher below!

You made it through on the "X Factor" at just 16, but you had already auditioned once before that. How were you in school knowing you wanted to do music at such a young age?

I was a very strange kid. I would misbehave. I didn't really pay attention in school, and I'm completely honest when it comes to this stuff, because I feel like people need to hear it from me. I'd not pick on the teacher, but there would be a bit of banter between me and the teacher. I'd shout out when I'm not meant to. There was this white room in the school for the naughty kids, and you could guarantee I'd be in that room, everyday, without fail! I messed around a lot and now I regret it, because I have no qualifications. I don't have a qualification to my name! I feel like I wasted those years. If I couldn't perform, wow, who knows what I'd be doing now.

How did your parents react while you were misbehaving in school?

They knew that I was like that. They'd get letters home saying, "Cher is misbehaving -- but -- in music, she's great." In my music class I'd listen and I'd note down everything. So I'm lying when I say I didn't get any qualifications. I got a qualification in that, I got a B. That is it!

How did your friends and schoolmates change towards you after your "X Factor" experience?

I'd always thought it's not you that changes, it's everyone around you, but from being the girl with no friends at all to being the girl who everybody wanted to be friends with. That was a bit crazy for me. I got too wise to it.

You started on "X Factor" covering a lot of rap songs, and then you moved into more singing to prove you could do that too, but when in your life did you take to rapping?

At first I did it for a bit of fun, because I was very into it. The Internet played a big role in music for me. I would literally sit there for hours on my computer pulling up YouTube clips and trying to learn that song within an hour. This was just before "X Factor." I wasn't really a rapper. I was just like, "Yeah, I can rap! I'm really cool." And then when I got there, they gave me songs that were really fast, and I said, "I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway." I did everything with my fingers crossed. If you can't do something, don't say you can't, just have a go. That's what I do.

And what about singing? When did you start singing and what kind of music influenced you early on?

I was singing before I could talk, literally. I listened to a lot of country music [laughs]. All Dolly [Parton]. I want to meet her just to say thank you.

Would you ever try and collaborate with her?

I don't think that would be the right thing -- Dolly singing and me doing a rap verse [laughs]. But you never know. Nowadays music's gotten so crazy -- it could work!

And who are your favorite rappers?

I listen to a lot of Nas. Kanye [West], Nicki [Minaj], everyone that stood out to me. Underground grime, as well. We did a collaboration with Dot Rotten, he's quite upcoming in the U.K. There are a lot of really cool U.K. artists that are underground.



What is the biggest difference between the U.K. music scene and the U.S. music scene?

The difference for me is that I have a really clean slate here. It's like all my misbehaving nobody knows about here, so I can get away with more [laughs]. It's very different because people like different things. What we play on the radio in the U.K., you guys won't necessarily play over here. In my opinion, you're slightly ahead. Way ahead. And that's not me just trying to lick butt, 'cause I am not that girl to lick --s. But now I can say I'm one step ahead of the game.

Well, your album has a lot of American artists featured on it.

Yes, but a lot of times you don't get to actually meet the person, and then they're on your song, and I've never met them in my life. It's just a bit odd, but the one person I did get to meet and film the video with was Mike Posner. He was a very cool guy. Laid back ... slightly too laid back. I mean when you turn up two hours late to the video shoot laid back! But that's cool, he's OK to do that because he's done well. But I don't think that I'll be doing that.

Did he know that you had covered his song "Cooler Than Me" on "The X Factor"?

Yeah, and I was very embarrassed. I destroyed the song didn't I? I did! I will always confess to these things. It was the most awful time of my career, and it just so happened to be the guy I was going to work with in the future. And he said, "Thank you for singing my song." And I was like, "Why are you saying thank you? Because I literally destroyed your song." And he said, "Well, it [the song] got a lot more hits!" Basically, he was grateful, which was cool.

You co-wrote a good amount of the songs on the album. Is songwriting something that's new for you?

Yeah. It's another thing where I just pretend to know what I'm doing! If it works out great, but I do enjoy doing it. I've written songs in the past that sound like absolute poo, and I'll never use them. Chuck them in the bin, move on.

Which song on the album speaks most to where you are in your life right now?

"Grow Up," because to be honest, I don't think I ever will grow up. I'm very childish, mischievous, and very young.

Tell us about your tattoos.

I have many of them now. I really cannot stand some people when they say to me, "Oh it's going to look horrible when you're 60." Who cares? Then it's going to be like a piece of artwork that people can look at and see all the crazy things I did in my life. It's expressing me. This one's quite depressing (points to a tattoo of an eye on her inner forearm, see photo gallery above). This is a crying eye for all the sadness and poo that I've been through already at the age of 18. And trust me, it's been crazy. Like learning the strange things about life, when people pass away. You have to adapt to things that you've never been through before. And then having the kind of life where you can do anything you want, cause you're just the average Joe to being pushed in front of a bunch of cameras. I haven't adapted to it yet, and I never will. And I don't want to adapt to it, either [laughs]. I'm like, "Yeah, whatever!"

How did you come up with the nickname for your fans, "Brats"?

I didn't make it up, they did, and that's what I like about it. In a few interviews I did say, "I am a bit of a brat when it comes to doing what I want to do." Because in 20 years time, I want to look back and say, "I did put my foot down and have a shout at that person, but it was for the right reason." I'm very stubborn, only because I'm very passionate ... That's an excuse. I'm passionate!