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MILAN ZRNIC
She may be a global superstar who’s won a shelf full of Grammys, but Alicia Keys reveals she has insecurities just like everyone. While sharing an excerpt from her new book More Myself: A Journey, the chart-topping singer sat down with People to discuss the self-doubt she’s held onto since her childhood.
Throughout her 20-year career, Alicia Keys has evolved from the girl with the braids who sang ‘Fallin,‘” to a powerhouse writer, producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, philanthropist, wife and mother. But in More Myself, she details her lifelong struggle to love herself: a struggle that started when she was a kid growing up in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen with an absentee father.
“For me, a seed of worthlessness was planted in childhood,” she writes. “As well-intentioned as [my father] Craig [Cook] was, and as much as he was dealing with in his own life, his absence impacted me in ways I’m still uncovering. It left a hole in me.”
It was during the peak of her career in 2006, Keys says, that she came to a realization.
“I was building my life around this image of perfection, and it was really oppressive,” she shares. “I was clearly a woman who wanted to talk about truth and empowerment and strength, but when I really looked at myself, I realized that my whole life, I’ve kind of been putting on a mask.”
These days, Alicia is confidently moving towards becoming who she truly wants to be.
“I feel more like an open book. That’s a beautiful thing,” she notes.
Alicia recently postponed her book tour and her upcoming album ALICIA.
The audio version of More Myself: A Journey is available today. The physical book is coming out Friday, March 31.
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