Keys still on a high over Queen of Katwe song
Alicia Keys has always been a supporter of female empowerment, so when the singer watched the new film Queen of Katwe and saw its female lead, Phiona Mutesi, win best male chess player, she was overjoyed.
“That was like so good and she played against all these boys because there wasn’t anybody else she could play against, and she was the best of all,” Keys said. “I think that was really, really powerful.”
It was one of the many scenes in the film starring Lupita Nyong’o that inspired the piano-playing star to write Back to Life, a song about hope and perseverance that plays at the movie’s end.
“As far as we feel like we’ve come — and as far as we’ve come, we definitely have made strides forward — it’s such an important reminder to know that when given opportunity, young people, especially girls, really flourish,” Keys said. “It’s just that simple.”
Queen of Katwe stars Madina Nalwanga as a gifted chess player from the Katwe slums in Kampala, Uganda, who reaches new heights in the international chess world. Nyong ’o plays her mother and David Oyelowo is her optimistic and passionate chess coach. The true story was directed by Mira Nair.
Keys said it was emotional watching the film, which highlights Uganda, a place Keys has visited and where she’s done charity work through her Keep a Child Alive organization.
“All over the world, and even in all of our backyards, there’s just so many incredible stories ... ,” she said. “It’s personal to me in the way that I can identify with Phiona finding her way, finding herself. When I say Back to Life, it’s like finding your greatest (self), finding what makes you alive. I feel like I, myself, am learning that more every day.”
Keys said she’s hoping Back to Life will satisfy fans who are waiting for her next album, though it could drop any day. “This is definitely like the best music I’ve made in my life yet ... because it’s like the most vulnerable, most urgent ... it just has such a good vibe to it,” said Keys, who has won 15 Grammys and released five studio albums.