OPINION: Imagine, if you will, that Chris Martin, is feeling fed up with howgrimthe worldis rightnow,(a valid response, I think we can all agree) so he decides that, in order to raise awareness, he'll upload a photo of himself to his social media platforms. He's wearing, well, nothing, save for a peace sign on his tummy, with his hands artfully covering his manhood.

"It's time to get people's attention" is how he explains himself to the New York Times. "People won't be able to ignore this visual!'

I'm not sure about you but my first thought would be 'Chris, you're a critically acclaimed, incredibly popular, talented, intelligent man. I know many people consider you attractive, but why you gotta go nude?"

Now, let me tell you what's really happened: acritically acclaimed, incredibly popular, talentedand intelligent singer, Alicia Keys, has gone and posed nude for her fans. In an interview with theNew York Timeson Sunday, she used those exact words above about not being able to ignore the visual.

You mean the nude pregnant woman visualpioneered by Demi Moorethat celebrated its 23rd anniversary this year?

Now, because she is a compassionate, socially conscious woman, Keys is following up on her nude pic by donating $NZ1.2 million of her own money to a dozen worthy causes.It's all part of the grass roots campaign she's launching calledWeAreHereMovement.com

And yet, the question remains on high rotation in my brain: why you gotta go nude?

It's funny isn't it, that when we ask it of a hypothetical Chris Martin, we're asking it in terms of relevancy. Why would such a man strip?

But if it's a woman then we know her body is part of the package. Thisis what it is to be a female singer in a hyper-sexualised landscape: at some point or another you gotta go nude.

Putting aside the 'awkward family photo' associations that drawing on a pregnant belly calls to mind; let's get down to some facts here. Keys has a new single to promote - it's called We Are Here and it fits, snug as a Tetris wall, into the larger social justice campaign she's launched.

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Alicia Keys: Why the need to be naked?