It’s all about confidence for Alicia Keys.
The “Fallin” singer is on the new cover of GQ Hype, and in the issue she discusses her new album Alicia, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of Breonna Taylor.
RELATED: ‘No One’ Is Going To Stop Alicia Keys And James Corden From Performing
Looking back on her first album, Keys recalls, “When we walked in the room, I sat at the head [of the table], [manager] Jeff Robinson sat next to me and he taught me from the beginning to be my own boss. I run these meetings, I talk about what I want, I talk about what I need.”
The artist describes her new album as “more confident,” explaining, “At the very beginning, I had zero confidence. I mean, I had the confidence that I thought I had. But most of that was kind of put on just to survive the situation.”
Keys’ confidence grew after a trip away to Egypt.
“The confidence, I think, increased, and also the bravery to stick to what I wanted to say or to feel how I feel and just get it out there,” she says.
As an artist, Keys is no stranger to politics. Talking about the Black Lives Matter movement, she says, “There’s a sickness, a deeply rooted sickness and disregard for Black lives, especially in positions that could terminate one’s life.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s literally been the backbone of this country. It’s been OK since Day 1. And it’s OK today! I mean, obviously it’s not OK, but nobody gets punished. Everybody just gets to go on when our families have to be torn apart … It’s just f**ked, man.”
Addressing the death of Breonna Taylor, an EMT who was shot and killed when police entered her home in the middle of the night on a warrant for her ex-boyfriend, Keys remarks, “There is no justice, there is no regard for the life of a Black woman who had an incredibly great future.”
She adds, “Breonna was essential to the workforce in Louisville and was a bright, shining star, ready to go higher. She deserves to be alive. She deserves to be able to sleep in her bed and wake up the next morning and continue on with her life. And she deserves for the people who ended her life to be held accountable. So how do I think that they handled it? They didn’t handle it! And that is outrageous and completely unacceptable.”
