Alicia Keys Wants You to ‘Be Who You Are’ in Her Summer-Inspired Collection with Athleta

The 15-time Grammy winner opens up to PEOPLE about bikini confidence and sustainable style as she unveils the “effortless” Summer of Soul collection with the athleisure label

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ATHLETA

Looking good, feeling good and doing good are on Alicia Keys’ mind this season. She calls it the “Summer of Soul.”

That catchy and insightful phrase is also the name of her just-released collection with Athleta, which the 15-time Grammy winner made sure delivered a lineup of confidence-building, size-inclusive pieces.

“It’s always about being effortless, being able to be who you are, as you are,” Keys, 42, tells PEOPLE on the messaging weaved into her third drop with the performance-wear label. “You have something comfortable and beautiful to wear” while fulfilling the many roles in your life, she adds.

But it also represents something meaningful. “It really is inspired by the summer, allowing us to find a bit more brightness [in life] as we transition from a long winter,” she says.

Her favorite summer memory? The Manhattan native reminisces fondly on “those New York summer nights where the breeze is blowing, you’re outside, you’re with your friends, you’re just feeling good.”

COURTESY OF ATHLETA

The newest line, available to shop now online, includes linen pieces, breezy jumpsuits, workout gear, accessories and six new swimwear options.

Keys understands that, for some, sporting a swimsuit may come with a bit of hesitancy — even she experiences those sort of days.

Her golden words of advice are to “know that you are so beautiful exactly as you are, in exactly whatever form you come in.”

She also has a styling tip: tie a scarf, like the versatile wrap in the collection, around the waist and, “when the time is right, take it off because you’re already in a space you feel good, then you keep going.”

“Just be experimental and honor how you feel,” she encourages.

COURTESY OF ATHLETA

There are a couple of different elements introduced to this collection, including the fact that it’s the most sustainable capsule in Keys’ and Athleta’s partnership since she joined the brand last year.

The As I Am artist takes pride in the different ways they were able to create eco-conscious essentials, like with the two sports bras, using lower-impact materialsand Fair Trade-certified fabrics. “That’s one of my favorite parts about the company — it being conscious about what it’s doing and how it’s doing it,” she says.

Living sustainability isn’t absent in Keys’ own life. She’s always been “conscious” of the term, looking at it as a philosophy relating to the products she consumes and uses on her body. Lately, though, she’s been learning even more.

“The first person that really introduced that in a very strong way is Stella McCartney,” she notes in reference to the fashion designer known for her sustainable designs. “I felt really inspired by that.”

Keys is not one to stop learning, though, even if that means finding new perspectives in unlikely places.

“My son actually, for homework, had to document how much he was using water. I was looking at it and I said, ‘Oh my gosh.’ You do forget how much you take water for granted,” she shares. “It’s those pieces that start to find their way into my life that I’ll say, ‘Wait a minute.'”

Another spin on this launch? The campaign is set in her home and shot by someone near and dear to her.

“It was definitely beautiful and, on top of doing it in my space, my brother photographed me. He’s a beautiful photographer,” she shares. (However, her sibling comes in second to her husband, Swizz Beats, who she admits is her best cameraman.)

Keys continues: “It’s really fun to be able to work with the people that you love because it’s not even working anymore. You get to have a really nice time, feel good and be yourself. All of that really shows too. The campaign feels organic, natural and exactly how we wanted that Summer of Soul energy to feel.”

She also had some assistance from her youngest Genesis, 8, adding that they had “some fun doing silly things” on set.

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Keys has a bright season ahead of her. In just a few days she will head to Latin America to perform her Alicia + Keys World Tour, a “beautiful celebration” that will bring her fans together through music.

In the midst of her summer concerts, she’s also gearing up for something special to honor the 20th anniversary of “I Ain’t Got You,” which she’s “grateful” still touches listeners “in such a powerful way.”

Juggling her busy schedule as a performer, businesswoman and mom (Keys also shares son Egypt, 12, with Swizz Beatz) is only made possible when the powerhouse focuses on her core being, and grounds herself with self-care rituals, whether that be meditating or reciting affirmations while doing her skin care.

“There are ways that you can honor the schedule you have and make space for yourself. Carving out that space to make sure you’re in touch with you is definitely important. I’m learning that better and better.”