Kelis, singer

Backstage before and after a concert at Metropolis Studios, London W4.

I always pray before a gig. I think that takes a lot of the pressure off. I was a little anxious before this concert. It was the first time I'd played the whole album [Food, her latest record]. There'd been so much buildup, I just wanted to get out there and get it done.

Being on stage is the strangest feeling. It's a kind of subconscious alertness. I'm extremely present in the moment. I'm looking out at the audience, aware of the sound levels, but at the same time I'm thinking about something else entirely. It could be anything. Someone might catch my eye, and I'll think, "Oh, that looks like someone I know." Or, "I shouldn't have eaten that earlier, because now I feel like a slug."

I must look exhausted in the "after" photograph. Having your picture taken when you come off stage is the last thing you feel like doing. I'm not the type to obsess about what went well and what didn't. I'm notorious for forgetting my words, and I definitely forgot a few that night. But I don't beat myself up too much. I'm like: "Whatever – I'm human. I did my best."