Hey.
Wow.
Hey, hey, hey!
Amazing.
It must be nice to be able to walk out to your own song.
Oh, it's a blessing.
Yeah, a blessing.
That's pretty cool.
It never gets old.
That is amazing.
No, I believe it.
And before I even introduce you, I just
name a couple of your songs, and everyone's like yeah!
They know.
Yay!
It's amazing.
So good.
That's great.
Congrats on everything.
Thank you.
I saw them back there dancing in the audience,
and it's the cutest thing.
Yeah, it's the best thing in the world.
So Ellen actually plays "Level Up" here a lot.
Yes.
And here's a memorable time that it actually
played here on the show.
(LAUGHING) Yeah.
She went for it, right?
Oh, I love it.
Yeah, it's great.
Look at it.
Hey.
Oh.
Got all the moves.
She's leveling all the way up.
That's like on another level.
Another level up.
There we go.
It's so good!
It's great.
That makes me feel like the day is going to be great, right,
when you see that.
Crazy.
Of course.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
And today's your birthday?
Yes, it is.
[CHEERING]
It's my birthday.
A very happy birthday to you.
It's my birthday.
Thank you.
What are your plans?
I know you're spending the day with me, obviously,
but besides that, what is your birthday plan?
Honestly, I don't know.
You don't know?
I just roll with the flow.
OK.
At this point, my husband's been the best with surprises,
and I did not like surprises until he came into my life.
Really?
And now I'm like, I'll just sit back and just
roll with the flow.
Yeah.
And honestly, if I'm with my family, I'm so good.
Yeah.
So I support being with them.
[CHEERING]
It's a funny thing big surprises, too,
that you mentioned that, because I never liked surprises either.
And it's interesting.
When you're getting surprises from people that you trust,
they're fun.
It is.
Yeah.
And when you're getting surprises from people
that you don't quite trust--
Yeah, you're like, uh-uh.
What's gonna be-- what's in the--
yeah, you don't want that.
Yeah.
You're like, is somebody-- did you run that by someone that
knows--
You're living on the edge like that.
No.
--how you're going to react?
Exactly.
Yeah, it's true.
How old are your kids?
My son is 5.
5.
My son Future is 5 years old, and my daughter Sienna
is 2 years old.
And I say she's 2 going on 30.
Yeah, I know that feeling.
At first I said 2 going on 20, but like in the last two months
she went another level up, so it's
2 going on 30 with her fiery attitude.
Wow.
What a beautiful family.
And Future is 5 going on 35, basically.
It's--
So they're old souls.
--a combo.
They're old souls.
That's great.
They know everything.
Yeah.
I mean, but they're the best.
You know what that is?
That's good parenting.
Hey--
Yeah.
--I'll take that.
I think that's good parenting.
Yeah.
I'll take that.
Because that translates into--
I think that's going to be something
that when they're older, when they're adults, hopefully
their kids are going to have that.
I think it's a wonderful thing.
I'll take that, because it's a lot right now.
It's like they're bringing it every day, non-stop--
Yeah.
--I mean, entertainment and fire, feistiness happening.
You gotta have your--
I'm enjoying it.
It's been fun.
I'm glad.
I have a teenager, so we'll talk later.
It's different.
It's awesome.
Oh, I can't-- you know what I say?
It's like, when they're young, you--
when they get older, it's like you
think you don't have to worry, but it's
another level of worry.
It is.
But you know what?
You can talk to them.
It's so-- it's beautiful.
It's so great when they start saying things
and you're like, wow, I didn't know that.
See?
I look forward to that.
But I'm like, gosh.
You think about the dating--
Yeah.
--all that.
It's going to be interesting, but--
It's interesting, for sure.
--I'm taking it one day at a time.
I'm enjoying every stage they're going through.
Good.
I'm glad.
So I'll keep on soaking in the baby times
when they can't say but so much, and then
when they have a lot to say I'll be ready for that too.
Speaking of what they have to say, do they listen to music?
They like your music?
They do.
They're like my little A&Rs.
Oh great.
They let me know if something is right or if it's not.
OK.
And they are like 10 for 10 with their reaction.
Really?
The way you know-- it's like the songs have
to have the ABC element.
So when they hear songs and they can sing it back
within the next few hours or like
literally right after hearing it,
you're onto something right.
And that's how they were with songs like "Level Up."
Got it.
They literally were like play that song over
and over and over again, mommy.
Play the video over and over again.
My older songs-- "1, 2 Step" they love and react
to that song like it's a new song.
Wow.
They are like my A&Rs.
That's great.
We sit in the car.
I remember putting Future beside me in the car in my Jeep,
and he was bobbing, like going crazy to one of my songs
on the album.
I'm like, this is it.
That's a hit!
It's a hit.
That's great.
You bring it to them before you bring it to anyone else.
Kid-tested.
That's great.
Yeah.
Your son was on Ellen, right?
Yes, he was.
She interviewed him on the red carpet.
Yes, when we did the AMAs.
I think it was the AMAs I was doing.
OK.
I think so.
Or the Billboard.
I'm not sure.
That's great.
Yeah.
They know.
Yes!
It was the Billboard Awards.
And is your husband-- does your husband dance?
Does he dance?
Yes, he does like dancing.
So he dances.
And I'm curious.
How are you-- if he dances, do you play football?
How are you at football?
OK.
So I was an athlete for all-- pretty much since I was a baby.
I've always been loving music, and I can also run track
and all that good stuff, , and I can catch a football.
But I will say--
OK.
--the first time he threw a football at me,
I had to step to the side of it.
Oh yeah, no.
--because I've never seen a ball thrown at that speed
and velocity in my life.
No.
I was like, OK.
Can you bring the speed of that ball down just a little bit?
He's like, I don't think I can.
I'm just flicking it.
I'm just saying.
Yeah.
I'm just saying, the flick was strong.
I'm sure.
But we have fun.
I mean, I have had moments where I'll like run a little route
and catch a ball from him when we're--
our charity events and stuff like that.
So we have fun.
We have a good time.
In the backyard we have a good time too.
And you're working a lot too.
So let's talk about America's Most Musical Family.
Yes.
You're an executive producer.
You're a judge.
Talk about the show.
I'm so excited about this show.
America's Most Musical Family is a music competition show
where 30 families from all over the nation come together
to compete to make their dream come
true to become a recording act and to get
a chance get a record deal with Republic Records
and win a quarter of a million dollars.
So it's really fun to see everybody
on the stage literally living out their dreams.
And the competition is really cool, and so unique
because it's all families.
And you really see a dad and daughter duo.
You also see a multi-generational
combination--
That sounds fun. --with
Literally a seven-year-old kid and a 80-year-old grandmother
in the group.
Wow.
But it's fascinating to see how many families there
are that can really bring it with good talent,
like literally playing.
There's one family that each kid can play seven instruments.
OK.
It's crazy.
But everyone's incredibly good, and it's a good time.
But you're judging them too, right?
Yes.
You have to-- how's that, judging families?
That is not easy.
No, no kidding.
I mean, everyone-- I think anyone knows,
when you deal with kids especially,
that it's hard to tell them what you really think.
You're like, you don't want to hurt their feelings.
Yeah.
But then you add the combination of it not only being the child
but the child's parent on the stage.
That's tough.
So you're like, I may say this to the child,
and the mom might be looking at you like you're crazy.
No, but it's really fun.
We give criticism with love on the show, which is really cool.
And I always want to give the kids
some nuggets that will inspire them to keep on going
when they don't make it.
That's good.
Because I was that girl before, where
I was trying out and trying to live my dreams out,
and then everything I tried did not work.
And so I kind of tap into like what that was for me when
I was in that moment like them.
But see, that's good.
That comes from being a parent.
I think that is the mom in me.
I'll take that.