Alicia Keys Tells the Inspiration Behind New Video for 'Blended Family'
The singer is promoting her new music video, "Blended Family."
— -- Alicia Keys explained the inspiration behind her new music video for her song, "Blended Family."
The video filmed in black-and-white music features Keys; her husband and hip hop producer Swizz Beatz; and their children, including children from Beatz' previous relationship. It also features images of many kinds of other families.
"I feel like 'the family' is such a beautiful and diverse unit and -- as we've all experienced -- our families come in all different sizes and shapes and versions," she said on Thursday's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
"There's people from all different places that end up becoming our family," Keys added.
"What 'the family' looks like is very diverse," Keys, 35, continued. "Be it religion or sex or color or families like mine that have children from other relationships, it's all beautiful family."
Keys said she hopes both the song and music video will help us "celebrate that more."
When the singer first announced the song on her website, she said she was celebrating her husband's ex-wife, R&B singer Mashonda Tifrere.
Tifrere, 38, and Beatz, whose birth name is Kasseem Dean, split in 2010. One month later, Keys was engaged to Beatz. The two wed the same year.
"The understanding, compassion and support we’ve found is a powerful testament to the healing that comes when we choose love," Keys said in her website announcement of the song. "Especially for the kids … the most important part of our lives. Celebrating Mashonda for our commitment to each other with support and true growth."
This comes after Keys and Beatz, 38, were in headlines in 2010 as many of Keys' fans expressed disappointment that it looked like she may have played a role in breaking up Beatz's marriage to Tifrere.
Keys defended herself against the allegation in a June 2011 interview.
"We didn't start seeing each other until months after they had separated," the songwriter told Essence magazine. "I was aware of all the false things that were being said about me. It definitely hurt."
