Alicia Keys Looks Back on 25 Years of 'Fallin''

Melissa CopeltonMon, February 23, 2026 at 1:39 AM UTC

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(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)

Even in 2026, if you leave the radio on long enough, there’s a good chance you’ll hear Alicia Keys’ hit song “Fallin’” play at some point.

Keys, 45, who is now a 17-time Grammy winner, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Fallin’” next month, and while there’s no denying that her career has transformed since then, she still holds a special place in her heart for that time in her life.

“Just thinking back to that girl in me at that time and how she had no idea, none. That she was completely what you call ‘fake it till you make it’ — that’s what she was doing, and she did a damn good job,” Keys told People whilst reflecting on the upcoming milestone.

“The more I grew, the more I learned,” the singer-songwriter continued. “And so I think about her, and I’m so appreciative of her because she was strong, she was clear. Even though she didn’t know everything, she knew what she didn’t want and she knew what she had to hold onto — and that was authenticity and truth and honesty and music.”

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Keys concluded, “I’m very proud because I recognize her in me today. So that’s a beautiful thing. So to be able to come all this way and have all these years to be creating and to have not even hit the tiny bit of where I’m going is a really, really exciting thing. So I’m grateful.”

“Fallin’” was released in 2001 as the lead single from Songs in A Minor, the debut studio album by Keys. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went on to win multiple Grammy Awards, helping cement Keys as one of the most exciting new voices in R&B at the start of the decade.

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”