Fri, 16 Oct 2009 1:47p.m.
When Alicia Keys made her debut on the music scene in 2001, the then 20-year-old college dropout (she attended Columbia University) seemed to be ahead of her years with the piano-driven, heartfelt 'Fallen'.
Years later, not much has changed for the 28-year-old - she's still singing powerful popular songs over her signature piano.
Alicia says that's because she's stayed true to herself, no matter where her career, or life, was heading.
"The biggest growth is just continuing to be myself and no matter what, no matter what else is going on, I'm going to be myself and I'm going to be authentic to that person and I'm going to make sure that I'm learning and growing every single day," the 12-time Grammy-winning singer said.
Keys career kicked off when 'Fallen' hit Number 1 on the Billboard chart, as did her debut CD, 'Songs in A Minor'.
That was followed by 2003's 'The Diary of Alicia Keys' and 2007's 'As I Am' - albums that have also sat atop the Billboard charts.
And Keys claims she's been able to have this success because of the inspiration she sees in others.
"Your heart makes you beautiful. Your spirit makes you beautiful. The way that you reach out to others makes you beautiful. The way that you acknowledge others makes you beautiful. The way that you are able to just shine your inner light, from in to out is the most beautiful thing I've ever scene," Keys said.
"Cause you can see a physically attractive person, and the way they act and the way they are is very, very ugly. So I think that beauty is like your heart, and it's how much you give."
APTN