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Alicia Keys has shared a new song – listen to ‘Perfect Way To Die’ below.
The new track tackles the issue of police brutality, and discusses a “system of racism that looks at Black life as unworthy”.
Black Lives Matter protests and anti-racism activism has been prominent in the last month, following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last month.
Speaking of the new song, Keys wrote: “Of course there is no perfect way to die. This phrase doesn’t even make sense but that’s what makes the title so powerful and heartbreaking because so many have died unjustly.
She continued: “It’s written from the point of view of the mother whose child has been murdered because of the system of racism that looks at Black life as unworthy. We all know none of these innocent lives should have been taken due to the culture of police violence.”
During the song, Keys discusses deaths at the hands of the police, singing: “Simple walk to the corner store/Mama never thought she would be/Getting a call from the coroner/Said her sons been gunned down/Been gunned down.”
A number of artists have penned new songs about police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement recently. Today (June 19), Anderson .Paak marked the unofficial US holiday known as Juneteenth with new song ‘Lockdown’, which reflects on the ongoing global protests against police brutality.
J. Cole, meanwhile, also addressed Black Lives Matter in a surprise new single released this week, called ‘
Alicia Keys is set to release a new album called ‘Alicia’ this autumn, which will feature ‘Perfect Way To Die’ on its tracklist.
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