By now established as a major and talented force in the mainstream music world, Alicia Keys has perhaps earned the right to explore a little, to venture into new genres while still keeping a foot firmly planted in the R&B/neo-soul she grew out of. On her third full-length, As I Am, Keys takes a step closer toward the soul revival popularized by John Legend, with full-band arrangements and bright horn hooks, only occasionally falling back into the piano/melisma combination that drove the singles off her first two albums. Instead, here, as evidenced in "No One" -- which sounds all too ready to take on a "reggae dance mix" -- the guitar-driven "I Need You," "Wreckless Love," or "Where Do We Go from Here," which pays tribute to both Stax and Motown ("All I can do/Is follow the tracks of my tears," she sings, after a sample of Wendy Rene's "After Laughter [Comes Tears]" crackles through the first few bars), this is music that owes as much to pop as it does R&B, highlighted no less by the fact that the queen of radio rock herself, Linda Perry, co-writes three of the songs with Keys, including the straight-from-the-Stripped-sessions "The Thing About Love" and "Superwoman." It is on the latter, in fact, that Keys, unsurprisingly, turns furthest away from the style that brought her initial success (more so even than on the John Mayer collabo, "Lesson Learned," which is actually not bad) toward the generic-pop world, sliding in between corny and sincere, sometimes even in the same breath. "When I'm breaking down/And I can't be found/...'Cause no one knows/Me underneath these clothes/But I can fly/We can fly," she sings in the bridge, flatly. Keys has never been a brilliant lyricist, but she's always been able to write simple yet affective and honest words that don't seem trite, something that is forgotten here, and makes the track one of the weakest on the album. Fortunately, this doesn't happen too often, and as As I Am weaves its way through the drums and various keyboards and vocal harmonies that make up the backbone of her work here, punctuated by the great, hooky melodies and strings, you get the impression that this is in fact the sign of an artist who's not content to only follow the path that's brought her previous acclaim, an artist who's looking to find more, both about herself and her music, and an artist who carries these developments, these insights, with her. And so even though As I Am is a flawed work -- a little too poppy, a little too clichéd -- it is also indicative of what Keys can and will do, and that she is someone, thanks to her curiosity, intelligence, and natural talent, who will be able to mature and grow for years to come.
I just got Alicia Keys's new album yesterday and so far I'm liking what I'm hearing. The thing I like most about A-Keys is the fact that she mixes the older forms of R&B/Soul (Motown for example) with new forms, and she uses real instruments and musicians too. I'm not knocking more producer-oriented artists and album, but it's refreshing to hear real instruments in modern R&B.So far, the high...
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For years i have been saying "She is talented...but she ain't ALL THAT...". Well, I have been listening to Alicia Keys' new album "As I Am", and I AM in total aww by the project...this creation...this wonder circle of melodies, bass lines, and honest lyrics. Songs such as "No One" and "I Need You" demonstrate the TRUE LOVE one being would have for another...NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS!! The Trib...
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I don't think I've ever heard Alicia Keys say anything that would cause anyone to raise much of an eyebrow before today. During an interview with Blender Magazine, Alicia lets off a few conspiracy theories including the statement "`Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. `Gangsta rap' didn't exist."Another of her theories: That the bicoastal feud between slain rappe...
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It's Thursday again, and Alicia Keys still shows no sign of giving up the #1 spot on the Billboard charts! Her smash hit "No One" reigns supreme for the 10th week in a row on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart! The song simultaneously tops the Hot 100 chart for the fifth week in a row! Not only that, but her second single off of As I Am, the emotional ballad "Like You'll Never See Me Again" continues...
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Rumours circulating the internet last week that Beenie Man would join Alicia Keys on stage at the American Music Awards for her performance of "No One" failed to mention that she would also be joined by reggae legends Junior Reid plus Chaka Demus & Pliers! Keys stole the show with what started off as a soul song, but erupted into a dancehall party as the song shifted into a medley with Junior ...
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Alicia Keys' "No One" is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts again this week. Today her hit single started week 2 on the Hot 100 and week 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart! I'm really not surprised, considering that fans and casual listeners alike are still buzzing about her fiery performance at the AMAs. She not only sang "No One" live but also invited Jr. Reid, Be...
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Alicia Keys finally gave up the throne atop the Hot 100 chart this week after 5 weeks at #1! Keys' "No One" was bumped by Flo-Rida's "Low" which has been nudging her for weeks now from the #2 spot. However, Keys won't be too sad to lose this spot. Her smash hit "No One" was also #1 on the Hot RnB/Hip-Hop chart for a legendary 10 weeks! Last week, her other single, "Like You'll Never See Me ...
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Complex Mag filmed an endearing video of Alicia Keys talking about her music during her photo shoot for the magazine's cover. She speaks so openly and intimately about everything going on at the shoot, in her music and her life all while you watch her striking a pose and working with the photographer and other people involved. Her music plays in the background, so it's a lot like a new music ...
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Alicia Keys has a new video out today, for "Like You'll Never See Me Again," the second single from her new album As I Am.Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me AgainUploaded by yardie4lifeThis lady can be such a great actress. Seeing her upset in her videos almost makes me cry....
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Alicia Keys will take her new album As I Am on a world tour shortly after her performances at the Super Bowl pre-game show on February 3rd and Grammy Awards ceremony on February 10th. The tunes from As I Am have been dominating the music charts and her performance at the AMA ceremony has become legendary because of her collaboration with 4 of Jamaica's hottest artists. That performance was so...
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Alicia Keys starts another week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Hot RnB/Hip-Hop Songs chart today for her blazing hit single, "No One." Today marks 8 straight weeks on the RnB chart while it is week 3 on the Hot 100 chart for the single off her As I Am album. The song is also enjoying many rotations of the remixes, one by Barbee and Beenie Man and another by Junior Reid. Here is the...
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Alicia Keys grabbed control of Billboard's Hot RnB/Hip-Hop chart 9 weeks ago and hasn't let go since. Her smash single "No One" reigns supreme on the chart again this week (for the 9th week in a row) as well as holding onto the #1 slot on the Hot 100 chart for the 3rd week in a row. Meanwhile, her song "Like You'll Never See Me Again," also from her recent album As I Am, is the greatest airpl...
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Alicia Keys is one of a handful of artists who will debut new material on the American Music Awards this Sunday. Lenny Kravitz, Beyonce, Rhianna, Duran Duran and Maroon 5 are all gearing up for live performances at the awards show as well, but Keys act has a few special surprises is store. Dancehall sources say that ragga-kingpin Beenie Man, who collaborated on an official remix of Keys' late...
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Alicia Keys won't be in the studio with Jack White for long. She just announced the first 8 confirmed dates on yet another US tour. According to NME, they are: Mashantucket, CT The MGM Grand at Foxwoods (September 12)Hammond, IN The Venue (13)Cincinnati, OH Procter and Gamble Hall (14)Denver, CO Wells Fargo Theatre (17)Salt Lake City, UT Abravenel Hall (18)Seattle, WA WaMu Theater (20)Vancouv...
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Mr Frost has been on the pulse of the new Alicia Keys album. He recently published an update about the first single "No One" off of the upcoming As I Am, saying that it would be available soon. Well, as far as videos are concerned, soon is here! The video was directed by Justin Francis and it debuted on BET today. According to some sources, the release of the album has again been pushed wit...
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"No One"I just want you closeWhere you can stay foreverYou can be sureThat it will only get betterYou and me togetherThrough the days and nightsI don't worry 'causeEverything's going to be alrightPeople keep talking they can say what they likeBut all i know is everything's going to be alrightNo one, no one, no oneCan get in the way of what I'm feelingNo one, no one, no oneCan get in the way of ...
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According to the US government, as of July 2007 the population of the USA was 301,139,947. So it's a little depressing that only 61,000 people of the 300 million general population purchased the Number One album last week, Alicia Keys' As I Am. That's like .02% of the entire US population, I think. I'm not a a math person, but I am pretty sure that's accurate and therefore pathetic for the musi...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 As I Am (Intro) |
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| 2 Go Ahead |
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| 3 Superwoman |
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| 4 No One |
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| 5 Like You'll Never See Me Again |
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| 6 Lesson Learned |
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| 7 Wreckless Love |
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| 8 The Thing About Love |
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| 9 Teenage Love Affair |
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| 10 I Need You |
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| 11 Where Do We Go from Here |
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| 12 Prelude to a Kiss |
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| 13 Tell You Something (Nana's Reprise) |
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| 14 Sure Looks Good to Me |
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Click to purchase…
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 "As I Am")
