After winning America's Most Talented Kid at 13, Cheyenne Kimball snapped up a record deal with a major label—and a major catch: She'd release a CD, but not for three years! And so Cheyenne waited and waited (and waited), writing songs and enjoying a typical teenage life off-stage. But finally her 16th birthday approached—and with it, success! Not only did her first album hit store shelves, Cheyenne had her very own reality show! So how does this rising star truly feel about her hard-earned fame? Cheyenne let us in on the real deal—and the cameras weren't even rolling!

What does the title of your album, The Day Has Come, mean to you?

It's about me finally getting out there and getting my music to people. And it's about being tired of waiting around!

You must have gotten impatient with all that waiting!

I did feel that I was ready [to have a career] when I was 13, so waiting three years was really tough for me. But I was really young when I won on the show, and I really wasn't ready for all of this yet. Still…I am not a very patient person.

Do you have anything you must bring on tour?

Yeah, my whole wardrobe! No—seriously, I'm so on-the-go all the time that I sort of throw things in a suitcase and leave.

How would you describe your style?

I have so many style moods! One day I'll want to wear tights and one day I'll just want to wear jeans and a T-shirt. I always wear heels, though.

What was it like to have cameras follow you around for your MTV reality show, Cheyenne?

It was definitely hard, but you get used to it. You start to forget about the cameras after a while. And the crew kind of became our family, so it never felt like they were out to get me or make me look bad.

Did you ever feel like saying, "Can you turn the cameras off? I'm having a moment!"?

It wasn't really an issue. There were times when I'd want them off, but they didn't film every day, 24 hours a day. There would be weeks off at a time. But having a reality show is something you definitely have to think hard about before doing it!

What qualities in a best friend are important to you?

Someone who's supportive and doesn't get "iffy" about my career—someone who will always be there for me. My best friend is amazing! She's so supportive but she also gives me time to breathe. I can go weeks without talking to her when I'm extremely busy and it doesn't bother her at all. We pick up right where we left off.

Have you ever had to deal with jealousy?

Oh yeah, definitely! I lost a lot of friends over this career, and that's been hard. Either people were really jealous and not supportive, or it was overkill and the response just seemed really fake. That's why I left public school—I just couldn't handle that anymore!

Do you miss anything about public school?

I'm a very social person, so I miss being able to mingle with my friends. And sometimes I wish I could just go to high school for a week to see what it's like!

Do you have advice for girls who might want to jumpstart a career?

If you really have a passion for something, go for it—but don't do it for the wrong reasons. Don't do it for money. Don't do it for fame. That's not going to get you anywhere! If you have a good head on your shoulders and you don't take anything for granted, I think you have a really good chance of becoming something.

Have you gotten any advice from someone you admire?

Yeah, I met [the singer] John Mayer recently and I told him that I was having some really tough times lately. People can just get so rude when you're in the public eye—very nit-picky. His advice was not to read the message boards online! He said it's like listening in on a conversation—you're just bound to get hurt. That was great advice, and I definitely haven't read any message boards since!

Have you had a recent experience that made you think, "I'm getting famous…"?

I was getting off the bus and a girl came up to me and started crying. She said, "My dad's not letting me go to your show and I thought I was never going to see you!" We took a picture together and then she just walked off without saying goodbye—she just started crying again! And then I walked onstage recently and some girls near the front just burst into tears when they saw me. I've done that before—just burst into tears when I've seen somebody. It's kind of uncontrollable, and it's so incredible to know that I can do that to someone!

Don't miss Cheyenne's debut album, The Day Has Come (Epic/Daylight).