Alicia Keys

I'm very happy with my body. ”

I'm not ashamed of what I am and that I have curves and that I'm thick. I like my body. ”

I'm a very caring person. ”

I've always valued the input of the people I love. So in the past, whenever I'd make a decision - what to wear to an event, whether to pursue a job opportunity - I'd consult those closest to me, like my mother, husband, or manager. ”

Stevie Wonder's records introduced me to '70s soul when I was 12 or 13. ”

How terrible would it have been if I had come out with some watered-down version of who I am? People fell in love with the real me, and I still feel blessed that that was how the journey began. ”

And I love kick boxing. It's a lot of fun. It gives you a lot of confidence when you can kick somebody in the head. ”

As a lyricist, you love to hear other great lyrics or other great concepts. ”

My parents weren't married. It wasn't like my dad up and left. I maintained a steady relationship with my grandparents. My dad's mother is my nana, and I'm closer to her than almost anybody in this world. ”

I know people who've gone to jail. It don't mean you stop loving them! They deservin' love just as much in there, and maybe they needin' it more. ”