Songz- Contributed

It may be his first time in the United Kingdom, but Trey Songz is more interested in connecting with the fans than he is about doing the tourist thing.

Bertan Budak speaks to him about burgers, talking Japanese and women.

Bertan Budak: Your sophomore album is called 'Trey Day'. What's the reason behind the name?

Trey Songz: When I first released my debut album on July 26, 2005, my fans called it Trey Day because it was my time - my day! The lyrical content is huge and there is a song on there that every fan can relate to. I also tried to keep the features to a minimum, so I could give a lot of myself.

BB: What will the next single be?

TS: The next single that will be released in the UK is Missing You. It's more up-tempo than Last Time, which is the current single in the States. I think it will appeal to the market here and I think the UK fans will love this one better.

BB: Are all of your songs influenced by your true-life experiences?

TS: Sometimes. And if they aren't personally inspired then they're situations that I can definitely relate to or draw from people around me. The track that I can most relate to on my album is Long Gone Missing. It's a song about arguing with your woman and feeling like you're about to cheat.

BB: So you've cheated then?

TS: Yeah.

BB: That was very prompt. Do you do it occasionally?

TS: No. It's not something that I'm particularly proud of, but things like this happen to normal people as well as artistes.

BB: Although you've just released your second album you're still at the beginning of your career. Where can you see yourself in five years time?

TS: In five years' time, I just want to keep doing what I'm doing. I've noticed significant changes in my music each year. I don't know where I'll be and to be honest I don't want to say because I don't want to put a limit on what I can be. I also want to branch out and get out of my comfort zone. In the future I can see more music, fashion, and movies.

BB: Do you have any acting roles in the pipeline?

TS: I'm in a movie with the radio talk-show host Wendy Williams about to come out. I play the first teacher who put her on air. I had to turn down quite a few movie offers to pursue my music and to make sure that my music is set in place. I want to be able to have time for acting and give it my all.

BB: If you could act alongside anyone, who would it be?

TS: It would be Al Pacino. I love all of his movies. With movies, you have to act as the character, not as yourself. I've seen him in many movies and he plays each character very well.

BB: Do you ever feel that some people are just in it for the money?

TS: Not really. I've done songs in Japanese and German and that wasn't just for the money.

BB: Japanese? What was that for?

TS: They wanted to release the song over in Japan, so I had to record the lyrics in Japanese. It was hard getting used to singing in Japanese and I was worried about whether I was saying the words correctly.

BB: What has been the hardest part of your career to date?

TS: Minimising my life I guess. If I'm Trey Songz right now, I need to act like Trey Songz. But when I'm at home I'm me. I'm still finding parts of myself. It's like when I go on stage I have a different persona, but when I come off stage I'm more natural.

BB: What's the craziest gift you've ever received?

TS: I actually got some underwear with my name stitched on them! At my latest show I had a girl lashing me and someone also put their underwear in my pocket!

BB: What's the most expensive gift you've ever received?

TS: My girlfriend buys me expensive stuff all the time, like watches and stuff.

BB: Where do you find the fit girls in your music videos?

TS: (He laughs) They come to us man! They do castings and we choose who we want from the castings. They send videos in and we can choose who we want. If I could have any girl in my video, it would probably be Halle Berry, because I've always been in love with her and she hasn't really been in a music video.

BB: Do you think it's harder for black women to make it on screen in music videos?

TS: Yeah it is. I'm trying to use darker women in my videos because most of the time you see the same light-skinned women with 'pretty' hair.

BB: Complete this sentence: When Trey isn't doing business, Trey is doing ...

TS: Family.

BB: Are you very family oriented?

TS: Oh yeah. I have brothers, a sister and lots of cousins. I always play X-Box with them and I take them out quite a bit. We play football together or we go to the cinema and then to a restaurant. I didn't really have a role model around when I was younger, so every time I get time off I try to spend as much time with them as I can. For those that didn't have a role model when they were younger I'd say to make sure whatever you pursue do it with confidence and never give up, because you will be a role model to someone some day.