has recalled feeling ‘embarrassed’ asking for help at the very beginning of her career, before launching her own initiative for others starting out.
The 42-year-old shot to superstardom with the release of her debut single, Fallin’, in 2001 – at the age of 20 – and , with hits including If I Ain’t Got You, No One and State of Mind, with .
As well as performing behind the mic herself, she has also written her own music and songs for other artists, including Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston and Jennifer Hudson.
After learning of a study on women in music, and realizing that the stats for female creators in the industry were at a six-year low in 2017, she took matters into her own hands and began She Is The Music – a non-profit organization offering young women mentorship in all areas of the industry.
Uncharted, directed by Beth Aala, takes viewers into the initiative’s songwriting camp and introduces viewers to the musicians and writers of the future – something Alicia wishes she had access to in her own career.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk on the red carpet at the premiere, held at Tribeca Film Festival in New York, she reflected on how her path began compared to the budding stars she mentored.
When asked whether she wanted a similar initiative when she was starting out in the industry, she told us: ‘I think about that a lot.
‘I’ve talked a lot about the way that I didn’t always feel like I had mentorship, or I didn’t know who to reach out to. I didn’t really know if they would want to help me, or I felt embarrassed about it.
‘I think it’s really beautiful to create an organization like She Is The Music, where you feel like you can create a sisterhood.
‘You can have a place to go where people care about maybe giving you opportunities to learn under another established woman. Or in a business sense of something that you’re interested in.’
Discussing how much of an impact She Is The Music would’ve had on herself, Alicia explained that things may have been different for her when she was a teenager.
‘I do wish that this was around when I was coming up,’ she added.
‘I definitely think I would have felt more inclined to reach out and create more of a sisterhood and really know that we can work together and create what we want for ourselves and the world.’
Uncharted put the spotlight firmly on the women taking part in a songwriting camp, shedding light on how the Grammy-winner offered them guidance, expertise and a safe space to create and develop their own music.
Ayoni, Jean Deaux and DaVionne were some of the names taking part – and who you should be looking out for in the future.
‘Uncharted follows emerging female artists who attend a once in a lifetime songwriting camp helmed by Alicia Keys and her organization, She Is The Music,’ the official synopsis reads.
‘A personal look at the music industry through the lens of black and brown creatives, Uncharted, is an intimate portrait of these rising stars and the pressures and challenges they face in a business offering little access for success.’
