Alicia Keys says she feels "proud" as her classic hit, 'Fallin' which marks its 25th anniversary.
The singer, who was just 20 years old when she released the soulful track in 2001, spoke about this milestone to People. The song, which was written and produced for her debut album, Songs In A Minor, spent six weeks at number one in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"I’m not sure how I wrap my head around this whole existence called life", Keyes said. "It’s very crazy and wonderful and exciting and amazing".
She continued: "And just thinking back to that girl in me at that time and how she had no idea, none. That she was completely what you call ‘fake it till you make it’ — that’s what she was doing, and she did a damn good job".
Elsewhere, Keys has spoken about her newly found appreciation for her younger self for staying strong and true to her authenticity, integrity and music.
"The more I grew, the more I learned", stated Keyes.
"And so I think about her, and I’m so appreciative of her because she was strong, she was clear. Even though she didn’t know everything, she knew what she didn’t want, and she knew what she had to hold onto — and that was authenticity and truth and honesty and music", she added.
"So I’m very proud because I recognise her in me today. So that’s a beautiful thing. So to be able to come all this way and have all these years to be creating and to have not even hit the tiny bit of where I’m going is a really, really exciting thing. So I’m grateful".
Just two months after its release in 2001, Alicia Keys explained the inspiration behind Fallin.
"I wanted to write a song for someone who was 10 or 12 years old – like a young Michael Jackson", she said at the time. "Even though he was young, he was singing some deep stuff back then. [The song] is about the ins and outs of a relationship".
"Sometimes, you're completely head-over-heels in love with someone, and sometimes you can't stand that person".
"You fall in and out, sometimes it goes back and forth, and that's just what relationships are about".
