Songs In A Minor (CD)

Precocious R&B vocalist/pianist Alicia Keys was hand-picked by Clive Davis as one of the flagship artists for his post-Arista label, J Records. No doubt he was as impressed by her multitude of skills (Keys took a large role in the writing, arranging, and production of her debut album) as by her music, which mates contemporary hip-hop accoutrements to an old-school soul sensibility … la Jill Scott or D'Angelo. Only 20 years old at the time of the album's release, Keys already seemed poised for a major career built upon her soulful voice and classically trained piano chops. While hip-hop played a much bigger role on her sophomore effort, 2003's THE DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS, it was a smash nonetheless, and subsequent recordings have further pushed the boundaries of R&B.

• Category:  Music  »  R&B  »  Contemporary R&B
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: June 26, 2001
• Label: J-Records (USA)
• UPC: 808132000222
• WAPI (Tower ID): 105896175
• Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #2242 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #112 in R&B (See Top 100 R&B Bestsellers)
• #23 in Contemporary R&B (See Top 100 Contemporary R&B Bestsellers)

•  [Official Alicia Keys Artist Sitethis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Alicia Keys - Official Myspacethis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Alicia Keys - Wikipedia Entrythis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Alicia Keys - Music at LAST.fmthis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Alicia Keys - Lyrics at Lyrics.comthis link opens a new window] 
  

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Rolling Stone (1/03/02, p.118) - Ranked #2 in Rolling Stone's "Top 10 2001".
Rolling Stone (7/19/01, p.53) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Keys shows a maturity beyond her years...suggesting down-home R&B contemporaries like Jill Scott as well as yesteryear's soul sophisticates..."
Entertainment Weekly (6/29-7/6/01, p.144) - "...A debut full of promise..." - Rating: B
Q (1/03, p.56) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"
Q (9/01, p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A prime candidate to head up the nu-soul revolution...with a voice that challenges Mary J. Blige's....Key's R&B trips to a fundamentally more old-skool set of values....Her sincerity is another plus..."
Uncut (11/01, p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Frequently stunning....Keys soars like a young Aretha Franklin..."
CMJ (4/30/01, p.21) - "...The singer showcases her classical piano training atop slow and somber percussion...her deep soulful voice and heartfelt delivery carry the songs..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/02, p.71) - Ranked #27 in Mojo's "Best [40] Albums of 2001".

Personnel: Alicia Keys (vocals, various instruments, piano, keyboards); Jimmy Cozier (vocals): Gerald "G" Flowers, Arty White (guitar); Miri (violin); Isaac Hayes (Fender Rhodes piano); Brian Cox (keyboards); Richie Good (upright bass); Tim Shider, Vic Flowers, Rufus Jackson (electric bass); Norman Hedman (percussion); Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Anthony Nance (programming); Cindy Mizelle, Tammy Saunders, Andricka Hall, Paul L. Green, Kandi B (background vocals).

Producers: Jermaine Dupri, Brian McKnight, Alicia Keys, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.

Alicia Keys won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. SONGS IN A MINOR won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. "Fallin'" won the 2002 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song.

Picture Roberta Flack with hip-hop trimmings or D'Angelo coming at the world from a female perspective and you get an idea of the immense talent welling up from musical prodigy Alicia Keys. Blessed with a soulful voice, mature-beyond-her-years songwriting, and a classically trained command of piano, it's no wonder music mogul Clive Davis brought the 20-year old performer over from Arista as one of the flagship artists for his new label J Records. Keys displays impressive range on this primarily self-penned debut that finds her taking part in arranging and/or production on every cut, once again redeeming Davis's instincts.

Besides the well-earned buzz for the gripping love-and-loathe single "Fallin'," Keys earns high marks for fusing rap beats and vintage Aretha on a confidently delivered cover of Prince's "How Come You Don't Call Me." Elsewhere, the native New Yorker's flow finds her traversing the same ground as early-'70s Stevie Wonder on the thought-provoking "The Life," while "Goodbye" proves to be the quintessential Quiet Storm kiss-off. Keys wraps up SONGS with a sanctified mix of stride piano, lush strings, and gospel-flavored back-up singers on "Lovin' U."

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