(Photo : Getty Images/Dimitrios Kambouris)
Alicia Keys attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City

Alicia Keys has no qualms with growing older.

The "Girl on Fire" hitmaker, 42, revealed that she views aging as empowering instead of something to be feared because of the mental and emotional development that comes with maturity.

"I love getting smarter. I love being more conscious. I love being aware of what I think," she said in an interview with The Cut.

Keys went on to explain that she believes people only become more beautiful with age as they learn more about themselves and find who they "actually are." 

"You get more beautiful as you get older," the singer shared. "Your heart opens more. You have a quality about you that is so much stronger in a way."

The journey toward this self-assured perspective wasn't instant. Keys reflected on her career in the music industry, acknowledging the gradual evolution of her understanding of beauty.

"It opened my eyes to how I didn’t feel comfortable or beautiful if I didn’t have my armor on," she said.

This realization spurred her decision to stop wearing makeup in 2016.

"I think it was just the awareness of how much we subscribed to social standards of beauty, and I didn't really think of that before," Keys explained.

Last year, Keys told People that her view of makeup had "evolved" as her beauty brand launched color-skincare hybrid products.

Reflecting on her relationship with beauty and makeup, she said, "I get to determine what's beauty to me. Nobody gets to tell me what that is, and I can't tell anybody what that is either."

In a heartfelt birthday tribute on Instagram earlier this year, her husband, Swizz Beatz, celebrated Keys' authenticity and positive energy.

He said, "She's one of the purest goddesses alive. What I love about her most is the positive vibes."