Album Review: Alicia Keys - As I Am
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From the moment Alicia Keys dropped onto the music scene in 2001, one thing was clear, the girl could write a killer hook. With a few simple words stretched out to blasting piano underscored intensity, “I keep on fallin, in and out of love with you,” Alicia Keys roared onto radio with an album (“Songs in A Minor”) that would garner her both critical praise and a slew of awards. It also seems to be the only real lyrical idea she will ever write, but that’s not as bad as it sounds.
With 2004’s follow up “The Diary of Alicia Keys,” we saw the singer amp up her game enlisting some of the hottest producers to bring her musical vision to life. A prodigious piano player, all the songs acted as a showcase for her searing, raw vocals, and roaming hands.
With so much time spent at the piano, it seems like Key’s has been able to experience little other than love, as is evidenced in the thirty (roughly) songs she has written to date.
Next week brings the release of her eagerly anticipated album “As I Am,” and it’s both strikingly different than her past two albums and strikingly similar. Those seeking out more of Keys’ piano driven ballads about heartbreak, newfound love, and euphoric romance will be pleased to know that Keys has delivered fourteen songs with her signature killer hooks that seem radio friendly and original at the same time.
Fortunately, for her slightly repetitive songwriting skills, Keys is blessed with one of the best voices in the pop/R&B world. Anyone who has heard the incredible first single, “No One,” where Keys practically screams her devotion to a man that will never be matched, you realize that even when she’s pushing the limits of her vocal range (which she is doing to beautiful effect in this single) she’s fully in command.
What makes her music accessible is the simple stream of emotions that she writes with. Her choruses often consist of a string of three or four words, repeated with different notes and they send shivers through your body. It doesn’t seem to matter that she employs slews of clichés because the way she performs them is breathtaking and she fully commits. This is most true on “Sure Looks Good To Me” which finds her singing with defiance, “Don’t rain on my parade.” There’s nothing lyrically original in this statement, but through some magic she makes it feel like you are hearing it for the first time.
At other places on the CD, she is more lyrically successful. The absolutely stellar “Lesson Learned,” about a tumultuous relationship which she finally put an end to, is an incredible collaboration between her and fellow singer/songwriter John Mayer. He croons “It’s
alright, it’s alright, it’s alright,” over slamming drums while Keys laments that “yes, I was burned, but I called it a lesson learned.” It’s a slow building explosion of a song that evokes a
soulful feeling of some of Keys’ influences. At its most scorching moment Keys wails out that “You don’t know what the struggles for/ Falling down ain’t falling down if you don’t cry when you hit the floor/ It’s called a past/ because I’m getting past/ and I ain’t nothing like I was before/ You oughtta see me now.”
Of course this song is sandwiched between the songs “I Need You,” and “Wreckless Love,” which seem to be the antithesis to “Lesson Learned.” It’s all about love with Keys but this time the key (pun not intended but I’ll take it) difference is the production of the album. On “Diary,” the only drum driven song was the Timbaland produced “Heartburn” but this album finds pulsing and invigorating drums pounding throughout.
Even though I would love to see Keys branch out into uncharted territory with her subject matter, there’s no denying that what she does, she does well. Clichéd? At times, yes. Enjoyable? Always. Pick up her album when it hits stores next Tuesday. Review by Matthew Murphy
MP3 | Alicia Keys - Superwoman [audio=http://buzzhypemedia.com/mp3/03%20Superwoman.mp3]
MP3 | Alicia Keys- Like You’ll Never See Me Again [audio=http://buzzhypemedia.com/mp3/05%20Like%20You'll%20Never%20See%20Me%20Again.mp3]
MP3 | Alicia Keys - The Thing About Love [audio=http://buzzhypemedia.com/mp3/08%20The%20Thing%20About%20Love.mp3]
MP3 | Alicia Keys ft. John Mayer - Lesson Learned [audio=http://buzzhypemedia.com/mp3/06%20Lessons%20Learned%20(Ft.%20John%20Mayer).mp3]
UPDATE:
One has to be on a vigilant watch with binoculars to keep a lookout on latest trends in fashion. This includes swimsuits, jewelry, designer handbags, shoes and bras as well. Only when done with this check, can one proceed with her wedding programs.
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I am actually feeling “Like You’lll never see me again”, the lyrics are hot!!! I just started like “no one”…not a fan of A.keys at all but those songs are growing on me.
I haven’t listened to her cd yet, but so far I like what I’ve heard. I just may have to cop it!
“Like You’ll Never See Me Again” is a nice song!
It is improvement over her other albums…the writing is good, not to sure about the singing. There is a way too much screaming and vocal strain going on
i love this album. i like the snare.
this album better have nothing but new joints,
i was kinda dissappointed in her last one seeing that she just redid all of her songs from the second album.
TALENT ROCKS! ALICIA KEYS HAS DONE IT AGAIN. MOST ORIGINAL AND LYRICALLY ACCLAIMED BALLADS ALL IN ONE ALBUM.
ok “lesson learned” to me is the best song i’ve heard from her out of this album. thank god she’s not completely lost. and her writing has gotten better. i’ll give her that
One of the few artists I actually support
Go Alicia!!! She is talented and beautiful and a true role model!!! She proves that you dont have to show everything to be sexy!! Your true TALENT will shine through regardless!
Great review. I agree with you on the fact that she’s not really doing anything that we haven’t heard a million times before, yet there’s a purity in her music that is so moving.
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I love “Lesson Learned”. I heard it last night and fell in love with it. I’ll definitely be in line next week getting “As I Am”.
I love Alicia!…She’s so talented…
Like You’ll Never See Me Again is my shit…
I honestly haven’t bought a CD in many years…but I will be getting a copy of this!
I listened to entire album over at The Leak on MTV and I must say that it is one of the best I have heard this year. The r&b love is so good. Chrisete, Jill, Keyshia - now Alicia - I really do love it.
Alicia has touch on something that has been missing! She has some mid tempo joint like “Go Ahead” but other than that it has a solid soul and jazzy feel to it! I love it! I love “Go Ahead”, “Lesson Learned”, “Thing About Love” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” - but I listened to the entire CD and I did not want to skip ahead on any tracks!
She def is getting my money come Nov 13th!
LOVE Alicia. I have noticed that even if i don’t like her production or track I ALWAYS love her lyrics. She’s great. The only real female artist out right now.
I swear Alicia is the truth. She is everything from Stevie Wonder to Gladys Knight, to Aretha Franklin to Sarah Vaughn to Nina Simone to Prince with a lil’ Nikki Giovanni thrown in along with the beauty of Lena Horne. Can’t wait for the album to drop, I think it will be her best work yet.
well I dl`d the cd. . and i am disappointed the only good songs are . .
No One
Like You`ll Never See Me Again
Lesson Learned
Wreckless Love
Tell You Something
WOW. I’m not really an Alicia Keys fan. I’ve enjoyed some of her songs but I mostly find her voice to sound incredibly strained and annoying. “No one” has been a torture to listen to because it’s exactly the kind of straining that has made her more of a nuisance than a respectable artist in my book. BUT WOW! I love this song, it’s absolutely incredible, heart-felt, it was beautiful and such a refreshing love song. She has seriously outdone herself and her contemporaries with this one. “Like you’ll never see me again” is so rich with feeling - I really love it.
I always like her lyrics too which would make you think that she could be a poet but her poetry book is AWFUL. It’s so awful I was actually shocked she had the audacity to publish it and call that corny, semi-tribute to Dr. Seuss ala romance poetry. She should definitely stick to lyric writing, it’s definitely her forte.
Love Alicia, but I have to hear at least 2 more songs before I buy the CD, she kinda sounds like she’s straining sometimes and that’a a little irratating. Her vocals on “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” leave much to be desired. Halfway through I wanted to turn it off.
I love this album from start to finish.
Alicia is great for all women who want to dominate men
[...] Keys, Four Songs From As I Am [Pretty Amazing] If you’re too frightened to wander over to Keys’ MySpace page to sample some of her [...]
Lauryn Hill must realese an album now. Alicia Keys is good but Lauryn’s lyrics are intellectually done. And i would choose Alicia over that manufactured untalented non-selling artist called rihanna anytime
she is the best and could sing yall need to stop saying she anit good u go gurllllllllllll W,O,W
I like the fact that she is not afraid to try something new instead of staying commercialized which is what everyone expects from singers now a days! She is not straining to sing she is singing a new style that you just can’t comprehend just yet!
I think her previous albums are classic to me, because I could put them on and just zone OUT! I can do that with this album too, but it’s more straightforward and really showcases where she is in life. I heard in a couple of interview she’s stronger and isn’t afraid to be herself, instead of this always-perfect-answer celeb. It shows in her vocal style and arrangements. It’s about power and overcoming personal issues and demons. Some say she’s straining, but I’d rather listen to her voice than a clear perfectly pitched boring ass voice. She really knows how to channel her emotion through her voice. And for those who say it is boring… Newsflash, it’s Alicia Keys. She’s known for making ballads and a lot of times you have to be in a certain mood to listen to her. Anyway, this album is wonderful! I don’t have Alicia’s albums on repeat anymore, because sometimes I can get stuck in that mood and get way too carried away. But whenever I listen to the album once in a while to zone out… It’s wonderful. Her lyrics may sometimes be lacking, but i think it’s all in her delivery more than ever. She delivers you straight up emotion on a silver platter. That is what I appreciate from her! She carries you through a journey of emotions. Love it.
Each album is different. I like that about her. Songs in A Minor, she def. sounded hungry indeed. Like a soulful butterfly. Diary was a little more intimate/romantic and polished. This album is a little rougher, more passionate, rawer, with a little more poprock thrown in there. It reminds me of Pink’s transition. I don’t want Alicia to go all, poprock, but I’m just saying. I think this album does showcase some new aspects of her creativity, but I’m still pending. Is this her best album? No. But it definitely isn’t a bad album on itself. Stop searching for that hot beat/catchy, timeless melody for a second, and think about what it makes you feel, what do these songs mean to you. Could you see these songs playing in the background to some of the things you went through? Did you also feel like screaming out your devotion, regret telling someone you loved them because they’re gone now, feel thoes tingling butterflies when you were young and in love, wish you tried someting but you didn’t because you were scared? I did, and I feel EVERY word she sings about. See, the biggest improvement she made on this album is making you feel every word she is singing. Although lyrically still lacking, she knows how to put emphasis on her words and make them powerful.
The thing is, she always leaves people hungry for more. She’s one of the few people love seeing evolve, change, and try different things, because she knows how to balance what appeals to the majority of the crowd, and stay true to herself as an artist. I’m already looking forward to her next effort!
The album is Really off the hook.
I completely fell in love with the songs as I am in a wonderful relationship now.
I can win tickets to a private concert of her.
Does anyone know which song on ‘As I am’ involves her mother and grand mother?
Please help me!
Yuri: Tell You Something (NANA’s Reprise)
Thank you so much Tina!!!!!!!
I hope I get the tickets!
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