She’s said they’re “just friends,” but One Direction’s Niall Horan has admitted to crushing on her! So what’s really the deal? Demi chats with Seventeen to set the record straight.

Seventeen: Even though you’ve said you and Niall Horan are friends, he called you his “dream girl.” So, what’s really going on between you guys?
Demi Lovato: I think Niall is super, super sweet and we’ve become good friends. I get what it’s like to be in the spotlight since I’ve grown up in it. I want to introduce all the One Direction guys to the United States, but especially Niall because he hasn’t been here that much. I want to make sure he — or any of them really, I just don’t know the other guys as well — has someone to hang out with in the States. He’s really sweet and it’s always flattering when a guy says he has a crush on you. But, I’m in a place right now where I’m not dating. I’ve sworn off dating for a long time. You never know what the future holds of course, but for now I am an independent woman and proud of it!

17: Are you and Niall going to hang out when he’s in the States for the MTV Music Video Awards next month?
DL: Yeah, I would love to! I’m just so busy because I’m still performing shows on the weekends, but hopefully I’ll have time.

17: You are such a style star! Are there any fashion trends you are loving right now?
DL: Right now, I love colored denim shorts and vintage denim shorts with studs on them. I’m also really loving having blue hair!

17: As a former Seventeen editor, you talked a lot about developing confidence. As an X-Factor judge, how does confidence play into a person’s performance?
DL: I can definitely tell which contestants have confidence and which ones don’t. To be a great performer, you have to be able to captivate an audience and that takes confidence. Anyone we put through and who made it to boot camp had confidence — it really shows in their stage presence. The season premiere is September 12 on Fox and is really exciting, so everyone should watch!

17: You recently got the chance to help a teen develop more confidence and live out her dream. What was that like?
DL: I partnerned with Acuvue and was able to mentor someone for a day and help her achieve her dream of becoming a singer. I took her backstage at one of my concerts and gave her a vocal lesson. The first day, she was a little nervous, but as time went on, she became a lot more comfortable. It was great to see her open up like that.