Alicia Keys’ Makeup-Free Photos Are Empowering And Inspiring
Alicia Keys is certainly on fire lately. The beautiful singer recently took to Instagram to a post a series of makeup-free photos, which included an emotional message about overcoming the insecurities she faced as a young girl.
While other beautiful young black women like Keke Palmer have been slammed for sharing their makeup-free selfies on social media, Alicia Keys has received praise for her powerful and inspiring message. Keys, 35, went makeup-free in her new photos for Tuesday’s issue of Lena Dunham’s newsletter, Lenny.
The Grammy-award-winning singer wrote about how she let society’s standards from letting her natural beauty shine through. Alicia recalls the time that she moved from the “tough” streets of New York City to the “harsh, judgement world of entertainment.”
“I started, more than ever, to become a chameleon. Never fully being who I was, but constantly changing so all ‘they’s’ would accept me,” she recalled.
In her essay, Alicia Keys opened up about the pressures to wear makeup and how her decision to go makeup-free has empowered her. Keys also released the makeup-free photos for her new single, “In Common,” and says that they were taken after she came home from the gym.
However, there were times when Alicia Keys wasn’t always so confident. She opened up about the pressures she faced to be perfect while growing up Hollywood. Alicia admitted that it was so difficult that she believed she “was not good enough for the world to see” and would constantly fill her head with “insecure, superficial, but honest thoughts.”
“Before I started my new album, I wrote a list of all the things that I was sick of. And one was how much women are brainwashed into feeling like we have to be skinny, or sexy, or desirable, or perfect. One of the many things I was tired of was the constant judgment of women.”
After taking the makeup-free photos, Keys finally felt beautiful and liberated for the first time in her life. The photos have inspired her to go makeup-free all the time.
“I was shocked. Instantly, I became a bit nervous and slightly uncomfortable. My face was totally raw. I had on a sweatshirt! [But] I swear it is the strongest, most empowered, most free, and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt.”
Alicia has been so touched by the photos that she decided to use them as the artwork for her new single. She even showed off her beautiful bare face and natural curls in the music video. Alicia even opted to go makeup-free for her upcoming photo shoots with Vanity Fair and Fault magazine.
Check out Alicia Keys’ new music video below.
She concluded her essay by saying that she wants to continue writing music that empowers women, and she no longer wants to feel the need to cover her face with makeup anymore.
“I don’t want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.”
Even in one of her new songs, “When a Girl Can’t Herself,” she’s heard singing about the moment she decides that she doesn’t want to put makeup on anymore.
Unfortunately, Keys’ beautiful message wasn’t received well at the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final. The singer performed a medley of her hits, including “Girl on Fire,” “Empire State of Mind,” and her new music. According to DirectLyrics.com, the crowd wasn’t feeling Keys’ performance even though it was electrifying.
She even had her girls in “Formation” like Beyoncé did at the 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Check out Alicia’s performance in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsjbibMQ6kM
What are your thoughts on Alicia Keys’ makeup-free photo shoot? Do you believe this will help other women to finally embrace their natural beauty? Let us know below in the comments section.
[Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images]
