She might want to be bad, but Willa Ford is awfully good, at least where music is concerned. You might want to lump this Florida native in with all the other blonde pop princesses. but that is not where Willa wants to be at all! With her urban-influenced dance-pop tunes, Willa wants to be set apart from the crowd. She takes great pride in professing, "I am not a cheerleader! I'm not trying to pretend to be sweet and then come out and be bad. This is who I am."

This not-too-subtle dig at some of her competitors doesn't mean she doesn't like her fellow pop stars. The former girlfriend of Nick Carter obviously has ties with the boys of Backstreet and has also done several events with Britney Spears. But the pathe that WIlla has set out on is markedly differend from the others in her field. Willa always knew that she wanted to be a performed. At the age of eight, she was singing with the Tampa Bay Children's Choir. By 11-years-old, she was a member of the Tampa-based Childrens' Performing Arts Troupe. Willa looked at these experiences as amazing alternatives to voice and dance lessons. "I was able to learn my craft on stage. Now being on stage is like being at home," she says fondly.

With her first album, Willa Was Here, Ms. Ford burst onto the scene with a slightly difference sound and a steamy look, unlike her more straight-laced peers. Willa is extremely proud of her contributions to the album. "They'd give me a beat and I'd start singing melodies. Then I'd think of something that the music reminded me of, or something I've gone though, and I'd start writing lyrics." It is Willa's outspoken personality that makes her lyrics so powerful and strong. Writing her own lyrics is a point of pride and it's non-negotiable in Willa's eyes/ She has tried to explain her stance and the message she tried to convey to fans by revelaing, "I'm saying, 'be who you are.' It's not, go out and break things...It's just don't pay attention to what everyone else thinks." Willa follows her own advice very well!

With that no-holds-barred attitude and her powerful pipes, Willa is ready to take on just about anything the music business throws at her. For the little girl who always knew that she wanted to be a star, this is simply what she was meant to be doing!

Little Known Facts:
- Willa's real name is Amanda Williford
- Backstreet Boys fans were not always supportive of Willa, especially while she was dating Nick Carter. There were several "anit-Willa Ford" websites that poked fun at the teen star
- When Willa was fifteen, she was one-fourth of the girl group FLA. The group was short-lived, but Willa didn't let that stop her from going on!