American pianist and singer Alicia Keys has a career spanning over 25 years, 17 Grammy Awards, and 90 million albums sold. Suffice it to say, she knows what she's talking about. And what she told the Times of London immediately resonated far beyond the music world.<\/p>\n
In a recent interview<\/a> with The Times of London, Alicia Keys delivered a scathing assessment of the music industry: "The music world is becoming a network of old bachelors, and all the incredible women who work as sound engineers and producers aren't being given a chance."<\/em> These are direct, unvarnished words from a woman who has been a songwriter, composer, producer, and performer since the beginning of her career.<\/p>\n Alicia Keys doesn't stop at qualitative observations; she offers a statistic: women represent only 2% of the entire music industry. "I'm a producer, and we're out there doing a tremendous amount of work, achieving huge success\u2014so it's shocking that this number is so small,"<\/em> she added. This percentage is all the more striking given that female artists have never been so present at the top of the charts.<\/p>\n Alicia Keys also denounced the lack of transparency behind the scenes: "Nobody tells you these things. You're dealing with all these executives and lawyers who love taking their percentages and overcharging you, but they never say, 'How can we make sure you're here for the long haul?'"<\/em> This criticism highlights not only the underrepresentation of women but also the lack of structural support in an industry that profits from their talent without investing in their longevity.<\/p>\n When asked about the feminist messages that run through her work, Alicia Keys was quick to clarify: "I didn't set out to write songs with a feminist message, and most of them were written because I wasn't feeling so strong, so I had to give myself a boost to keep going\u2014but it's a recurring theme in my work<\/em> ." Songs like "Girl on Fire" or "Superwoman" are therefore not manifestos, but rather personal therapies that have become universal.<\/p>\n Rather than remain angry, Alicia Keys co-founded "She Is the Music," a non-profit organization that facilitates songwriting sessions, mentorship, and educational opportunities for women in music. In February 2026, the organization held its second annual Women Sharing the Spotlight event, at which Alicia Keys paid tribute to American country music singer Megan Moroney and her all-female band. "It's one thing to knock on a door to be let in; it's another when someone opens that door and says, 'Come in and join me,'"<\/em> she said at the ceremony.<\/p>\n In the same conversation, Alicia Keys addressed the issue of creative ownership and the pressure artists face in a digital environment. Alongside her partner, American rapper Swizz Beatz, she explores new ways of presenting art and music outside of traditional systems.<\/p>\n She also acknowledged the growing role of artificial intelligence and social media, describing them as "tools that can both support and hinder artistic expression." Furthermore, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2026 for her efforts to transform the way the music industry operates.<\/p>\n In short, with 25 years of experience, 17 Grammy Awards, and an entire network of women to support, Alicia Keys has chosen to name what many know but few say. Women have the right to exist fully in the public sphere as well as in music, to take their rightful place without having to justify themselves, apologize, or constantly fight for what should rightfully be theirs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"American pianist and singer Alicia Keys has a career spanning over 25 years, 17 Grammy Awards, and 90...","protected":false},"author":8375,"featured_media":440664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[307],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-440663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-people"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/@-aliciakeys-_-Instagram-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/@-aliciakeys-_-Instagram-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/@-aliciakeys-_-Instagram.jpg","author":{"name":"Fabienne Baure","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fabienne_baure-96x96.jpg"},"categories":[{"term_id":307,"name":"Celebrities","slug":"people","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":307,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Celebrities section of The Body Optimist follows celebrity news from a specific angle: what stars\u2019 public statements reveal about bodies, mental health, aging and beauty standards. Actresses, singers, models and athletes open up about their insecurities, their battles and their refusal of rigid beauty rules, stories that echo questions many women ask themselves.<\/p>\n Following celebrities without comparing yourself means remembering that their images are the result of professional work: lighting, makeup, styling, picking the best shots and sometimes retouching. A few habits help:<\/p>\n Celebrity news is often fleeting. What interests us are the moments when a public figure talks about their body, their health or the pressures they face, because these stories resonate with our readers\u2019 daily lives. We aim to share these voices rather than judge anyone\u2019s figure, and to place each story in a broader context: the pressure to be thin, ageism and sexism in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n Body shaming means criticizing, mocking or judging someone based on their physical appearance: weight, height, skin, body hair, age or facial features. Public figures are especially exposed because every photo of them is publicly commented on, but it affects everyone, online and in everyday life.<\/p>\n Body dysmorphic disorder, often called body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition marked by an excessive preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one\u2019s appearance that is minor or invisible to others. It can cause intense distress and repetitive behaviors, such as constantly checking one\u2019s reflection. Only a health professional can diagnose it and recommend appropriate support.<\/p>\n When a widely followed public figure talks about insecurities, an eating disorder or criticism of their weight, they bring visibility to an experience that is often lived in shame. These stories can help others speak up and encourage them to seek help. They remain personal accounts, however, and are no substitute for advice from a health professional.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Our Culture<\/a> section analyzes movies, TV and music through the lens of representation, our Society<\/a> section looks at beauty standards and discrimination, and our Body positive<\/a> section supports you on the road to accepting your body.<\/p>","parent":0,"count":2802,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":307,"category_count":2802,"category_description":" The Celebrities section of The Body Optimist follows celebrity news from a specific angle: what stars\u2019 public statements reveal about bodies, mental health, aging and beauty standards. Actresses, singers, models and athletes open up about their insecurities, their battles and their refusal of rigid beauty rules, stories that echo questions many women ask themselves.<\/p>\n Following celebrities without comparing yourself means remembering that their images are the result of professional work: lighting, makeup, styling, picking the best shots and sometimes retouching. A few habits help:<\/p>\n Celebrity news is often fleeting. What interests us are the moments when a public figure talks about their body, their health or the pressures they face, because these stories resonate with our readers\u2019 daily lives. We aim to share these voices rather than judge anyone\u2019s figure, and to place each story in a broader context: the pressure to be thin, ageism and sexism in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n Body shaming means criticizing, mocking or judging someone based on their physical appearance: weight, height, skin, body hair, age or facial features. Public figures are especially exposed because every photo of them is publicly commented on, but it affects everyone, online and in everyday life.<\/p>\n Body dysmorphic disorder, often called body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition marked by an excessive preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one\u2019s appearance that is minor or invisible to others. It can cause intense distress and repetitive behaviors, such as constantly checking one\u2019s reflection. Only a health professional can diagnose it and recommend appropriate support.<\/p>\n When a widely followed public figure talks about insecurities, an eating disorder or criticism of their weight, they bring visibility to an experience that is often lived in shame. These stories can help others speak up and encourage them to seek help. They remain personal accounts, however, and are no substitute for advice from a health professional.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Our Culture<\/a> section analyzes movies, TV and music through the lens of representation, our Society<\/a> section looks at beauty standards and discrimination, and our Body positive<\/a> section supports you on the road to accepting your body.<\/p>","cat_name":"Celebrities","category_nicename":"people","category_parent":0}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8375"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440663"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":440700,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440663\/revisions\/440700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} 2%: the figure that sums it all up<\/h2>\n
Executives who take and do not give<\/h2>\n
Her feminist songs: born of doubt, not a manifesto<\/h2>\n
"She Is the Music", the concrete answer<\/h2>\n
AI, social networks, creative property<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Celebrities section<\/h2>\n
\n
How can you follow celebrity news without comparing yourself?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach: listening to what stars say about their bodies<\/h2>\n
Articles to start with<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is body shaming?<\/h3>\n
What is body dysmorphia?<\/h3>\n
Why do celebrities\u2019 stories about their bodies matter?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Celebrities section<\/h2>\n
\n
How can you follow celebrity news without comparing yourself?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach: listening to what stars say about their bodies<\/h2>\n
Articles to start with<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is body shaming?<\/h3>\n
What is body dysmorphia?<\/h3>\n
Why do celebrities\u2019 stories about their bodies matter?<\/h3>\n