She has sold more than 90 million records worldwide, won 16 Grammy Awards and was named twice by Time magazine in their list of 100 of the world’s most influential people.
But Alicia Keys is far more than a music artist. A mother to two boys – Egypt, 13, and nine-year-old Genesis – with her producer husband, Swizz Beatz, she is also heavily involved in both activism and humanitarian work.
OK! caught up with Alicia at her Women To Women initiative – a project that aims to drive cultural progress in Saudi Arabia and globally – to talk about motherhood challenges, the perils of social media and the advice she would give to her 20-year-old self.
Hi, Alicia. What do you find is the biggest challenge of motherhood, and how has it changed you?
I love being a mom. It has taught me how to know what is important. Sometimes you can get caught up in things that really don’t matter. It keeps me grounded.
My biggest challenge as a mom is making sure, with all the travelling and moving, the planning and the creating and the careering, that I’m still very tight with my children. I want to understand what they’re thinking and going through, and ensure we can be best friends and can talk, no matter what.
I believe in something called “designing your life” – identifying what you want, then creating the space for those things. So I want to be present and learn what they are ingesting.
Which brings me to my second challenge.... the phone! Social media is the biggest challenge and it drives me insane. I am trying to find a balance. There are so many great things about it, but there is always so much mess, so much toxicity and negativity.
Denne historien er fra April 08, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 08, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE PITFALLS OF AT-HOME REMEDIES
Some online health advice could be putting our wellbeing at risk
GREEK RETREATS
Relax and unwind at some of the Greek islands' best wellness destinations, offering sun, sea - and spas
Food from home
Romy Gill takes us on a journey through the ancestral kitchens of the Bengal and Punjab regions by sharing 70 of her beloved family recipes
DANCING QUEEN: 'You'd have to shovel me out of my Strictly chair'
Shirley Ballas loves her role as head judge on the hit BBC dance show and despite struggling with back pain, she won't be putting her feet up any time soon, she tells OK! in an exclusive interview
FAMILY TIME: 'I feel content and in a good place - I was so different before I became a mum'
Reality TV star Ferne McCann on motherhood, marriage and being inspired by her children
THE MATCHMAKER: 'I would pay to go on My Mum, Your Dad if I wasn't in a relationship'
As the hit ITV dating series where single parents get a second chance of finding love returns, host Davina McCall reveals why the show is such a success
REEL DRAMA: BRAD STEALS THE SHOW AT MAJOR MOVIE EVENT
A host of screen stars graced the red carpet for the 81st Venice International Film Festival
FAMILY MATTERS: 'PETE AND I GET ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES, BUT WE LAUGH EVERY DAY'
Presenter Abbey Clancy tells us her secret to a happy marriage and why she loves the chaos of family life
SUMMER OF LOVE: 'We just match each other perfectly'
Olympic swimmer Matthew Richards marries fiancée Emily Large in a fairytale ceremony, making it a summer that they'll never forget
LIFE, LOVE AND DUTY: QUEEN CAMILLA'S JOURNEY INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
Following another busy week of duties, it's clear Queen Camilla has taken to her role in the monarchy “like a duck to water\" says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond