Over the past year, through interviews and blogs, singer/songwriter virtuoso Alicia Keys has been promising that her next album would blow people away. As I Am has arrived, and, unsurprisingly, Ms. Keys doesn’t disappoint.
Keys’ fourth album hit shelves November 13, delivering a brand-new yet familiar sound to the thirsty ears of her fans. As I Am shows Keys evolving from the simplistic, piano-tinged R&B tracks of Songs In A Minor and The Diary of Alicia Keys to embrace a completely new feel that hop-scotches back and forth across genres, decades and themes.
While the repetition of the album’s lead single, “No One,” might hastily become annoying, its innovation can’t be denied. The pulsating kick-drum, cushioned by a light, tickling piano melody provides Keys the perfect background to spotlight her wailing (but soulful) vocals and create a love song not quite pop, R&B, or rock, but something different altogether. Keys lifts a torch for girl power with “Go Ahead,” the quintessential kiss-off (reminiscent of Diary’s “Karma”) that utilizes organ funk and layered vocals to create the perfect church atmosphere for a woman-scorned anthem, and again on “Superwoman,” a banner of self-esteem for women everywhere. “Even when I’m a mess/ I still put on a vest/ With an S on my chest/ Oh yes, I’m a Superwoman,” Keys declares, with an iron-clad conviction that has only strengthened since her 2001 debut.
The nine-time Grammy winner eventually slips into the realm wherein she shines most—balladry. The lush second single, “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” sounds like a Prince remake done right, with valiant strings and twinkling keys backing Keys’ message to listeners to cherish every single moment with those we love. “Wreckless Love” fittingly hearkens back to 70’s R&B, since Keys is heard pleading with her man to travel back in time with her to when their love was more spontaneous and, well…reckless. “Let’s go back in time,” Keys says, “When our kiss was brand new/ An adventure not perfected/ A little hesitant,” surely reigniting old flames around the world. “Teenage Love Affair” is ripe with a Jackson 5 influence that would make Mike proud, with Keys singing light and playfully over an even more playful guitar line.
The obviously more mature singer doesn’t leave us without some introspection. “Lesson Learned,” featuring singer John Mayer, reminds us to take something from failed relationships instead of wallowing in sorrow, while “The Thing About Love” is a remarkable commentary on the inevitability of falling in love at some point in life, as well as its consequences. If there’s any fault in As I Am, it is simply the fact that there are not enough thought-provoking tracks as these two standouts.
At press time, As I Am is poised to be far ahead of her competitors in the race for the number one Billboard spot for album sales, which means Keys’ listeners are aware of something she’s clearly known all along: her music is well on its way to being solidified with “classic” status, garnering her a place up there with the one-names—Aretha, Marvin, Curtis, etc. Just walk up to the next person you see and ask, “Have you heard the new Alicia album?” It’s guaranteed you won’t hear, “Alicia who?”
Tags: Alicia Keys, Vocalz
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