”Let a boy paint his nails” – Alicia Keys on Gender Roles & Societal Norms

Grammy award winner, Alicia Keys recently had an interview with American women’s beauty magazine, Allure Magazine about how women and men are viewed in this society.

In her opinion, women are often made to feel insecure in this society and young men are told not to have feelings:

”I am so sick of the way women are forced to feel inadequate in many different circumstances or forced to feel insecure by the way we we’re portrayed or the way we look,” she said.

She continued discussing the problems with society and how we force gender roles on children. Keys is mother of two boys— Genesis Ali, 2, and Egypt Daoud, 6, and is married to Swizz Beatz.

She touched on the skewed beliefs about the behavior and emotions of men.

”I am so annoyed at the way we force boys to be fake strong – don’t cry, don’t be soft. Let a boy be able to dance! Let a boy paint his nails. So a boy wants to paint his nails. Who cares! All these strange, oppressive ideas.

You know what would be really cool? If we stopped offering our opinions unless asked. If nobody asked you, keep your mouth shut! Like with the Internet? That’s just too much opinion. People are mean. It’s a sickness,” she added.

Keys, who wore makeup for the first time since last spring for the shoot, continued:

”I think makeup can be self-expression. I have no intention to shame anyone at all who chooses to wear it. No one should be ashamed by the way you choose to express yourself. And that’s exactly the point. However, if you do want to do that for yourself, you should do that.”
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Of course, the R & B singer dazzles without makeup for a number of reasons (great skin, genetics, proper skincare), but these days she credits her radiance to having a better relationship with herself.

“One thing I’ve heard more than ever is this glow that people refer to that I have. I kind of recognize that glow because I’ve begun to listen to myself inside. And I think there’s something really powerful that happens when you start to listen to yourself. It makes you feel more aware.

In touch. More confident. I’m not more confident because I think I’m better than, but because I’ve been hearing myself more, listening to myself more. And that’s taken a little minute to arrive at that place. But there’s definitely something powerful about the way your inner feels that reflects on the outer, on your skin. That, to me, is real beauty.”

Photo credit: Allure/Instagram