The "pop princess" Annie Khalid has been in the news for various reasons these days. First it was her new album which surprised millions. She came up with a video for a new single shortly afterwards. She has also been appointed Ambassador for the International Red Cross which is a huge honour. We caught up with the young diva while she toured Pakistan and talked about all that has been going on in her musical career.

Q: You were recently appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the International Red Cross. How did your affiliation with the Red Cross start and how has the experience been till now?

My affiliation with the Red Cross started a couple of years ago when I started to fundraise with them for different causes. Until now the experience has been great because they"re a group of people who have a genuine cause. I just wanted to build bridges and raise awareness, and when you get to do it with the right organization it"s just perfect.

Q: What other plans do you have regarding spreading awareness and working for the people affected by the recent floods in Pakistan?

Other plans in regard to spreading awareness are through "Be My Baby": all the proceeds from the song will be donated to flood victims through the Red Cross. The Red Cross is supporting me and I need your support because the download just costs about a hundred rupees. This is my personal way of giving back and trying to do as much as I can for the country that has given me so much.

Q: How has the response been to your recently released video for "Be My Baby"? Will there be an official release in Pakistan as well?

"Be My Baby" has been officially released and has just started airing in Pakistan. So far the response has been very good. My company and the production team released it online to see what kind of response we"d get. The song has not been released properly on TV and is in the process, but the response has been great and people really like it.

Q: "Be My Baby" has managed to get the notice of critics; some say the storyline for the video has been copied. How would you clarify this?

Honestly, I don"t know. I"m not a Justin Bieber fan and I don"t listen to his music. I had absolutely no idea that our videos were similar; I haven"t even gone online to check his because that would be pretty pointless. My production team came up with the concept which is a pretty desi one with a rumaal and the guy running after the girl trying to give it back. So I am not bothered by people talking about it and saying the idea"s been copied.

Q: Being in English, do you think "Be My Baby" would be liked by the masses?

I think that having been sung by Annie Khalid, the singer - the "Mahiya" girl, it will be liked by the masses just as "Mahiya" was. The response that I got was overwhelming! I still perform and play it at places I never knew existed in Pakistan; rural areas and areas where people don"t even know English, but they sing along to the song - the English parts as well as the Urdu ones. That"s how I know that "Be My Baby" will be liked by the masses because I think I have established myself as a "masses artist".

Q: We have noticed a massive change of style and immense voice maturity in your latest album. What is the reason behind this? Is it just because you have matured as a singer or have you been taking voice training?

I have been taking voice training for years now; it"s been about three years since my last album so I have definitely matured. As you mature you want to do stuff that is different and I experiment with music that is compatible with me as a person, because I am changing and growing that"s why I think this is a more mature album. This is just the start; I want to do so much more in music.

Rustam Fateh Ali Khan is my teacher and my mentor, he"s a friend and his family is just like my family. They are a group of people who are genuinely interested in teaching music. I want to learn music forever, don"t want to stop now; I just want to keep on learning.

Q: Stardom at such a young age subjects a person to a lot of pressure. Do you feel maintaining a star iQe has affected your personal life?

I do feel the pressure sometimes. I feel that maintaining a star iQe is taking a toll on my personal life but you"ve got to live with it. This is what I wanted: I opted for this. I don"t want to be ungrateful, so now that I have achieved it I can"t say that I don"t want it anymore.

There are days when I just can"t take it anymore, I just want to leave and go home and not even think about it but then I think about how hard I"ve worked and everything I have achieved: this is not even half of what I wanted. The drive to do more just overcomes all of my fears and doubts. That"s what keeps me going.

Q: How do fans greet you? Do you feel smothered or do you enjoy all the attention?

I am lucky that my fans are really nice so I never get mobbed, but there have been a couple of occasions where people have ended up smothering me. Now I know how to go about in public although I usually don"t go out a lot. I meet my fans one to one backstage after shows, in performances and concerts, or in studios and restaurants. I love my fans; they"re so good to me.

I do enjoy the attention, who doesn"t?! We all enjoy admiration and to this extent it does kind of become a high!

Q: "Mahiya" was a huge success. Do you see any other song from your new album climbing to such heights of fame?

I think "Mahiya" is just one of those songs that I won"t be able to beat. I think every singer has that one song that does it for them and "Mahiya" was the one for me. Maybe in the future, you never know! But for the time being I think "Mahiya" is the song that"s going to haunt me for the rest of my life!

Q: You recently walked the ramp in Karachi Fashion Week. Tell us more about that experience. How would you compare being on stage with walking the ramp?

Yes, I did walk the Karachi Fashion Week ramp; I walked it for PNS Couture and I think the experience was almost the same as performing on stage. It"s a performance, you"re walking down a ramp and all eyes are on you: fixated on your every move. The adrenaline, the buzz, and the rush is the same, I think. Although I had a bit more adrenaline pumping through my veins on the ramp than on stage because the stage is like my second home while the ramp was something new.

Q: Do you see yourself doing more fashion shows in the future? If so, which designers would you like to work with?

I do think I walked the ramp really well and I definitely see myself doing it again. I am a big fan of most of the designers here in Pakistan and I think there"s a lot of talent around. I would love to walk for Ammar Bilal since he designs most of my clothes and he"s my stylist as well. I like HSY and Mahin Khan; she"s a really good friend of mine. I love all of them and I"m not just being politically correct!

Q: Where does your musical influence come from? Who are your favourite singers, locally and internationally?

My musical influence comes from the late nineties; people like the Spice Girls and Britney Spears. I"m a bit of a pop junkie. Also these days a lot of influence is coming from Paul Van Dyke and a lot of house and trance music.

Locally, I listen to a lot of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Perveen. I like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The rock music scene is really good in Pakistan. Everyone has their own style and I like all of them.

Q: To what extent do you think music helps in shaping people, especially in a crisis such as the one Pakistan is facing right now?

Music helps people by just being an escape, it"s something that alleviates pain, makes you forget for those few minutes what"s going on. There have been times when I have taken my musicians to hospitals to play for people with terminal cancer and for those few minutes, they forget their pain and where they are. They just feel happy and a smile lights up their faces.

Q: As a young singer you are constantly criticized. How do you handle such criticism?

I always take criticism with a pinch of salt. I do listen to everyone but there are some things that just have to be ignored. It"s all about how you feel as an artist and as a person. I have learnt to take criticism, acknowledge it and digest it. That is why I am maturing as an artist.

Q: Who do you think is your biggest critic among friends and family?

I trust my parent"s judgment more than anyone else; they are my biggest critics. They want the best for me and want to see me happy. My mom is my biggest critic and my biggest fan, so I love her!

Q: What"s next, Annie? Another video, a new single, fashion shows, brand endorsements or more charity work?

Next in line for me will be a new single by the end of the year, definitely brand endorsements, and most definitely charity because right now my country needs me and I am going to do as much as I can to help in flood relief. I"m trying to get as much aid as possible to help my fellow countrymen.

Q: What is your message to your fans the world over?

Simply that "Be my baby" is going to be released officially and I want everyone to purchase a copy, and help support the cause