Quack, Quack

A lot of guys think it would be cool to date a singer but then they get all freaked out when I can't go clubbing because I have to go do a show. They tell me, "You're 20 years old, you're supposed to be going out to party." I just tell them, "Later, I'll party later." But they don't understand and I think, "Oh, well. One day I'm going to be partying at the Grammys and you're still going to the same old club."

HP: Right this minute, instead of this interview, what would you rather be doing?

Serenil: Naw, I'd rather be doing this interview.

HP: If they did a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?

Serenil: I guess it would have to be somebody who really knows me -- that would be my sister. She's a pretty good actress.

Brad Pitt would be my boyfriend. Even though I don't currently have one, in the movie I would. I would say, for my mom...

Elaine Gracia: You better watch it. (laughs)

Serenil: No, no, you'll like it -- how about Queen Latifah?

HP: Your mom is a light-skinned redhead, she looks like a white lady. You sure you want to go with Queen Latifah?

Serenil: (laughs) No, really, there's a resemblance. She's kind of the black version of my mom.

HP: Who's the most important person in your life?

Serenil: God. God's number one. Without Him, to be honest with you, we wouldn't be anywhere in the music industry. There are so many people who are out to get you, to stab you in the back, people who say they want to help you and then take you for everything. It's crazy out here, and we couldn't be doing this except for God.

I don't know how people who don't have some kind of faith do it. You have to have something, Allah, Buddha, somebody.

HP: Tell us something people don't usually know about you.

Serenil: A lot of people don't know that I have a fear of ducks.

HP: Ducks?

Serenil: Yes, ducks. I am serious! Don't say anything until you have been attacked by one, okay?

HP: Attacked? By a duck?

Gracia: It was a goose, actually, when she was about eight years old. There was a little pond in the park and she's just so tenacious, she was bound and determined that she was going to feed this goose.

Serenil: I was trying to give him some bread, like, "Here ducky, here ducky." He was kind of honking at me and all of a sudden he just kind of got low with it, crouching down and I was like, "Are you serious?" Then he just took off after me, chasing me. He chased me around the park like three times, I thought he was going to eat me! And (laughs) it's not funny, he bit me. I even have nightmares about it sometimes.

People say they're scared of snakes; I ain't scared of snakes. They say they're afraid of spiders or rats, nope. I'm scared of ducks.

HP: Who would you rather marry, Pee Wee Herman or Ronald Reagan?

Serenil: I would definitely say Ronald. Ronald would be my guy.

HP: What's something you don't want anyone to ever know about you?

Serenil: I'm pretty open, there's nothing that nobody doesn't know about me. Oh, wait, my (beep) boob is a little bigger than my (beep) boob. (laughs) I try to even it out all the time but it doesn't work. For more information about Raquel Serenil, visit www.myspace.com/raquelserenil online.