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Alicia Keys had to "bust her ass" to get back into shape after pregnancy.
The Fallin' singer, who is married to hip-hop artist Swizz Beatz, gave birth to son Egypt in October 2010.
The 31-year-old has since regained her slim figure, but says it was a challenging process.
"[It was] a lot of very difficult, hard, painful work," Alicia confessed to Entertainment Tonight. "Some people are just like, 'I just eat steak and potatoes and bread and I'm fine,' and I'm not that person. I have to really bust my ass."
The gorgeous star is currently promoting her fifth studio album Girl on Fire, which is due for release next month.
Alicia revealed the new record tells her very personal story about finding strength.
"It's kind of about the journey to becoming a girl on fire because when you're becoming a girl on fire you're going through everything," she revealed.
"You're going through vulnerabilities and insecurities...bouts of fear, and you're unsure of things...Then, you start to find your way and your voice, and that's what I was going through."
Her last album, The Element of Freedom, was released in 2009 - before she got married and gave birth to Egypt.
Alicia feels the events of the past couple of years have helped shape her into who she is today.
"I find that I feel a lot more secure, a lot more confident," she explained.
"I think that's also just because of the journey itself....Surely, those things [marriage and motherhood] had something to do with it, but mostly it's probably just time...I feel like I'm more aware of myself and who I want to be and how to be it. It's a nice feeling."
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