Alicia (album)
Seventh studio album exploring identity and sociopolitical themes.
Alicia is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and pianist Alicia Keys. Released on September 18, 2020, by RCA Records, the album was primarily recorded at Oven Studios and Jungle City Studios in New York. It reconciles the experimental direction of her previous album Here with her earlier bass drum-driven R&B and piano-based balladry, incorporating sounds from orchestral pop, progressive soul, funk, ambient, country, and Caribbean music.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Alicia Keys
- Released
- September 18, 2020
- Genre
- R&B
- soul
- orchestral pop
- Length
- 54:40
- Label
- RCA
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Alicia was recorded after Keys' 2016 album Here and her tenure as a coach on The Voice. The album features collaborations with more artists than her previous work, including Sampha, Tierra Whack, Diamond Platnumz, Snoh Aalegra, and Jill Scott. Keys wrote her memoir More Myself (2020) during the album's recording, describing both projects as therapeutic and reflective of greater introspection. The album was originally scheduled for March 20, 2020, then May 15, before being delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was marketed with seven singles, including "Show Me Love" (with Miguel), "Time Machine", "Underdog", and "So Done" (with Khalid).
Reader's Guide
Alicia received critical praise for Keys' nuanced vocal performances and the music's broad appeal. Thematically, the album explores multifaceted identity, sociopolitical concerns, and forms of love through impressionistic lyrics and personal narratives. The singles "Good Job" and "Perfect Way to Die" resonated with the importance of essential workers during the pandemic and with the 2020–2021 racial unrest over police brutality, respectively. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. In support of the album, Keys performed on the Alicia + Keys World Tour from June to November 2022 and in May 2023, after the tour was postponed from 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Truth Without Love | Alicia Keys, Larrance Dopson, Khirye Tyler, Kasseem Dean, Terius Nash, Justus Alexander West, Damien Romel Farmer | 2:34 |
| 2 | Time Machine | Keys, Sebastian Kole, Robin Tadross | 4:26 |
| 3 | Authors of Forever | Keys, Johnny McDaid, Jonny Coffer | 3:37 |
| 4 | Wasted Energy (featuring Diamond Platnumz) | Keys, Richard Isong, Ariowa Irosogie, Nathaniel Warner, Kali McLoughlin | 4:19 |
| 5 | Underdog | Keys, McDaid, Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance, Coffer, Amy Wadge | 3:24 |
| 6 | 3 Hour Drive (featuring Sampha) | Keys, Sampha Sisay, Jimmy Napes | 4:01 |
| 7 | Me x 7 (featuring Tierra Whack) | Keys, Christopher A. Stewart, Patrick William Postlewait, Samuel Kirk Thomas, Jeremiah Bethea, J. Pierre Medor, Tierra Whack | 3:32 |
| 8 | Show Me Love (featuring Miguel) | Keys, Daystar Peterson, Morgan Matthews, Miguel Pimentel | 3:08 |
| 9 | So Done (featuring Khalid) | Keys, Ludwig Göransson, Khalid Robinson | 3:54 |
| 10 | Gramercy Park | Keys, Napes, Sam Romans | 3:12 |
| 11 | Love Looks Better | Keys, Ryan Tedder, Dopson, Noel Zancanella, Christopher "Brody" Brown | 3:23 |
| 12 | You Save Me (featuring Snoh Aalegra) | Keys, Snoh Nowrozi | 3:41 |
| 13 | Jill Scott (featuring Jill Scott) | Keys, Delano Matthews, Dean, Jill Scott | 4:05 |
| 14 | Perfect Way to Die | Keys, Kole | 3:31 |
| 15 | Good Job | Keys, Nash, Dean, Avery Chambliss | 3:53 |
| Total length | 54:40 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
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