Keys believes that society’s pressures mean young women and girls feel they can’t be themselves, constantly changing to please others. Comparing this to the US election, she says:

“It’s sad, that girls can’t be themselves. It’s sad that through this whole election process in America, because Hilary was so strong and tough, how much unnecessary things were said about her being a women. We as women can be anyway we can, and it is sad when you can’t be yourself. And that’s a problem with girls all over the world. There’s so much oppression for women, and there’s so much unequal opportunities.”

She didn’t hold back on her views of the President elect, either, saying:

“I’m disappointed that so much hateful rhetoric and sexism and bigotry and racial slurs and intolerance would be rewarded with a presidency.”

Watch the interview here or on BBC iPlayer.

“It’s sad that girls can’t be themselves”: Alicia Keys on impossible beauty standards