Alicia Keys Dedicates Song to Mother on New Album

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Alicia Keys is expressing her gratitude to the most important woman in her life. The “Fallin'” songstress has penned a song for her mother Terri Augello on her forthcoming album.

“In the past, I’ve written mostly from my own perspective. But I just wrote a song for my next album that was inspired by a conversation I had with a man who was expressing how indebted he feels to God,” Alicia told Essence magazine. “He said, ‘I owe God.’ Now, what an interesting thought. And as much as I believe in God, for me that translated into how much I owe my mother for who I am. So I went home and I wrote ‘I Owe You.’ It’s dedicated to her.”

The 30-year-old is in a new space following her marriage to Swizz Beatz and the birth of the couple’s son Egypt. “I was very closed for a long time. But I feel so open now,” she added. “To feel open like this means you’ve found the center in yourself. You’re not hiding; you’re not worried about anything. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

Her longtime producing partner Kerry “Krucial” Brothers has been in the studio with the new mom working on her as-yet-untitled project. “The writing is the same,” he told staging-rapup.kinsta.cloud. “The only thing changed is the schedule. We leave earlier now. No more to-the-crack-of-dawn stuff—at least not for now.”

Before her new album arrives, Alicia will release a 10th anniversary edition of her groundbreaking debut songs in A minor on June 28 and host the 3rd Annual Keep a Child Alive Black Ball in London on June 15 with co-host Mark Ronson, plus a performance from Tinie Tempah.