Alicia Keys Hopes 'Liberating' New Album Empowers Fans

Alicia Keys' fans are counting down the days until the singer takes the 2012 Video Music Awards stage to debut a brand-new track from her upcoming fifth studio album.

"It's so exciting to bring people into my world and where I've been and what I've been working on," Keys told. "And there's no better place in the whole wide world than the VMAs to do that, so it's gonna be crazy!"

Since Keys' last album, 2009's The Element of Freedom, a lot has changed for the R&B superstar. In July 2010, Keys married rapper and producer Swizz Beatz in a fairytale wedding at a private home overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Less than three months later, the couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy, Egypt Daoud Dean.

With all these big changes in her life, Keys says she has become a new woman and is ready to share her new outlook on life with fans.

"For the new album, it is a new journey. It is a new story. There's so much that is new to talk about, and I think all of our journeys are so incredible," Keys said. "So being a new mom, a new wife, being a woman who's really trying to find herself, take control of my life, my business, my world, I think that there comes a certain point in life where you realize that you know you can really choose the life that you want, and so it's really about that journey and kind of finding that bravery, finding that inner-strength to trust yourself, believe in yourself and know that you really have all the tools. You don't need anybody to validate you. You are powerful and incredible, and that's the journey that I've been on and the journey I think we're all on."

Setting the tone for the album, in June, Keys released the high-energy first single "New Day," which was produced by her husband. And while Keys reveals that the making of this album wasn't always easy, it became a freeing experience, which, in turn, made her more confident than ever before.

"It was totally a brand-new me, and it does feel liberating. It feels liberating because it's not easy," Keys said. "It's not an easy process, and I'm still going through it. I think I'm probably gonna go through it for the rest of my life. We're always finding that next place and that next step and that next lesson, but it does feel really liberating to find a place where you know you can trust yourself and find that strength."

With her next album, Keys hopes fans can get inspired by her lyrics, since she says they are relatable.

"There's such an incredible feeling to be able to have this music that is part of a soundtrack of our lives, this journey that we've taken and to be able to describe that," Keys said. "And I hopefully have songs that will really touch people in every aspect because they can relate to what I'm talking about, and I think that's the most incredible thing about music — how it brings us so close like that."

What makes you excited for Alicia's new album? Let us know in the comments!

The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Head to VMA.MTV.com now through August 24 to vote for your favorites, or text BNA to 22444 to vote for Best New Artist all the way through the show!