Alicia Keys is not holding back.

The 15-time GRAMMY-winning songstress is the latest superstar to cover the UK version of Marie Claire.

In the spread, she dishes on a wide range of topics, including: finding her voice, sexism in the music industry, and the importance of setting boundaries.

Her cover comes as she gears up to release her upcoming ‘KEYS’ album, which is set to feature the singles: ‘LALA,’ and ‘Best Of Me.’

Peep pics and quotes below…

On setting boundaries:

“Boundaries are my favourite thing in the whole world. Here is my space, stay out of it! You’re crossing the line. I think there’s something about being able to verbalise it.”

On finding her voice:

“It was very hard for me to express times I’ve felt weak,’ she says. ‘If I felt scared, or like I wasn’t gonna be good at something. I never wanted to give people the opportunity to prey on my emotions, so I always hid them. I never felt comfortable crying in front of people. I would [say] I’m fine when I’m not fine.”

“One of the things I’ve learned with age is that there’s so much to who we are. It’s easy to default to the woman you usually are, but we can actually be our most magnificent… most fancy, smart, beautiful [selves] – all those things so many of us hold back. ‘Keys’ is all about losing that reservation. I don’t have that reservation any more.”

On sexism in the music industry:

“I think it’s actually what saved me from this super-dirty industry, which sometimes makes women feel like they don’t have a choice about how to express themselves or portray their womanhood or their sensuality or their sexuality – or any of it. Growing up, I was very much around pimps, prostitutes and dealers. I had to conduct myself in a certain way in order to not attract that type of attention. It gave me perspective. As a kid, everyone wants to tell you what to do and how to look and how they want to market you… they literally try to mould you like clay.”

“Compromise has been my middle name – Alicia Compromise Keys. I definitely came to a place where I was recognising that my desire to compromise sometimes overcame my desire to honour my original vision. You know, I’m just finished with giving my power away.”

Your thoughts?

[Photo Credit: Marie Claire UK]