Chasing your dream? Alicia Keys has the anthem for you.
The 15-time Grammy-winning songstress has just dropped the latest single off her upcoming seventh studio album, ALICIA, powerfully titled, “Underdog.” On the track, which was reportedly co-written by Ed Sheeran, the songstress pays tender and encouraging tribute to the people fighting to get by and pursuing their aspirations
“I sing a song for the hustlers trading at the bus stop/Single mothers waiting on a check to come/Young teachers, student doctors/Sons on the front line knowing they don’t get to run,” the lyrics play out. “This goes out to the underdog/Keep on keeping at what you love/You’ll find that someday soon enough/You will rise up, rise up, yeah.”
The star’s song also serves as a touching reminder to pay mindful attention to others, if only for a passing moment. “One conversation, a simple moment/The things that change us if we notice/When we look up sometimes,” Keys sings.
In the accompanying video, also released on Thursday, a mix of scenes play out, including of one man selling CDs roadside, young girls all dressed up being driven to their prom and a woman returning to youngsters at home.
“Some people may think of the word underdog as a negative word, but I see it as a powerful word representing people who may be underestimated and yet still rise to the challenge and exceed expectations,” the star told Rolling Stone in a statement. “I love this song so much because it’s about real life and real people and our experiences. We’ve all been in a place in our lives where we’ve had to defy the odds. It’s never easy.”
If there are any lyrics to memorize from Key’s new song, let it be one of her favorites: “They said I would never make it/But I was built to break the mold.”
