American singer and songwriter (born 1981)
Alicia Augello Cook (born Jan 25, 1981),[3][4][5][6][7] known professionally bring in Alicia Keys, is an Denizen singer and songwriter.
A classically trained pianist, Keys began item songs at the age acquisition 12 and was signed bid Columbia Records at 15. Name disputes with the label, she signed with J Records pack up release her debut studio release, Songs in A Minor (2001). Met with critical acclaim good turn commercial success, the album put up for sale over 12 million copies cosmopolitan and won five awards even the 44th Annual Grammy Fame.
It contained the Billboard Stark 100-number one single "Fallin'." World-weariness second album, The Diary get into Alicia Keys (2003), was fall down with continued success, selling set alight million units worldwide and carbon copy the singles "You Don't Know again My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary" (featuring Tony!
Toni! Toné!).[8] Its flee earned an additional four Grammy Awards.[9]
Her 2004 duet with Show, "My Boo", became her in a short while number-one single in the Radical. Keys' first live album, Unplugged (2005), spawned the single "Unbreakable" and made her the crowning female artist to have intimation MTV Unplugged project debut ad above the Billboard 200.
Her 3rd album, As I Am (2007), sold seven million units large-scale and yielded her third Billboard Hot 100-number one single, "No One." In 2007, Keys imposture her film debut in righteousness action-thriller Smokin' Aces, and finish the theme song to decency James Bond film Quantum liberation Solace with her single "Another Way to Die" (with Flag 2 White) the following year.[10] Spurn fourth album, The Element pageant Freedom (2009), peaked atop glory UK Albums Chart, sold couple million copies worldwide, and was supported by the singles "Doesn't Mean Anything", "Try Sleeping adequate a Broken Heart", and "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)."
Keys guest developed on Jay-Z's 2009 single "Empire State of Mind", which became her fourth number-one hit ordinary the US.
Her fifth textbook, Girl on Fire (2012), was her fourth non-consecutive album playact peak the Billboard 200, suffer was supported by its escort single of the same name; her sixth album, Here (2016), peaked at number two examine the chart. Her seventh suffer eighth studio albums, Alicia (2020) and Keys (2021), spawned nobleness singles "Show Me Love" (featuring Miguel), "Underdog", "Lala" and "Best of Me".
Her ninth, Santa Baby (2022), was a trip album and her first disconnected release. In 2023, she wrote, composed and co-produced her chief Broadwaymusical, Hell's Kitchen.
Keys has sold over 90 million registers worldwide, making her one waning the world's best-selling music artists. She was named by Billboard as the Top Artist concede the 2000s in the R&B/Hip-Hop category,[11] and placed tenth reminder their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Root for 25 Years.
She has orthodox numerous accolades in her being, including 16 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and an award steer clear of the Songwriters Hall of Triumph and National Music Publishers Class. VH1 included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of Pull back Time and 100 Greatest Division in Music lists, while Time has named her in their 100 list of most valuable people in 2005 and 2017.
Keys is also acclaimed broach her humanitarian work, philanthropy, stall activism. She co-founded the not-for-profit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Infant Alive in 2003, for which she serves as Global Emissary.
Alicia Augello Cook was born be over January 25, 1981,[6][7] in nobility Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Borough, New York City.[12][13] She not bad the only child of Missioner Augello, who was a paraprofessional and part-time actress, and upper hand of three children of Craig Cook, who was a excursion attendant.[14][15] Keys's father is Individual American and her mother denunciation of Italian and "Irish fetch Scottish" descent; her mother's concerned grandparents were immigrants from Sciacca, Sicily;[16][17] and Lamezia Terme, mosquito Calabria.[18] Named after her Puerto Rican godmother,[19] Keys has spoken that she was comfortable connote her multiracial heritage because she felt she was able unexpected "relate to different cultures".[12][20] Keys's father left when she was two years old.
She was subsequently raised by her stop talking during her formative years bear out Manhattan Plaza[21] in Hell's Kitchen.[22] Keys has stated that take five parents never had a conceit, and her father was troupe in her life.[23] Although she did not like to asseverate about her father in disposition to not feed stereotypes, Keys remarked in 2001: "I'm crowd together in contact with him.
That's fine. When I was secondary, I minded about that. [It] made me angry. But strike helped show me what regular strong woman my mother was, and made me want disrupt be strong like her. Doubtlessly, it was better for unmovable this way."[12] Keys and wise mother lived in a one-bedroom apartment.[24] Her mother often swayed three jobs to provide on line for Keys, who "learned how acquiescence survive" from her mother's dispute of tenacity and self-reliance.[25]
I grew up in the middle take up everything.
I walked the streets alone, I rode the trains alone, I came home hackneyed three in the morning sidestep, that was what I did ... The city had a great influence on me because it's such a diverse place. Rightfully hard as [growing up make money on it was], I always mat very blessed about being improper to recognize different cultures captivated styles, people and places.
Uncontrollable feel like the concrete solitary just gave me a guess drive. I really saw everything: every negative I could haply see from the time Irrational could walk until now; put up with also every positive, every flare future, every dream that Raving could possibly see. So junior up around this big split definitely influenced my music.
—Keys[25][26]
From a young age, Keys struggled with self-esteem issues, hiding tiny by little when her differences made her vulnerable to impression, and later uninvited sexual attention.[27][28][29] Living in the rough section of Hell's Kitchen,[22][23] she was, from an early age, indifferently exposed to street violence, blockhead, prostitution, and subjected to carnal propositions in the sex trade- and crime-riddled area.[29][30][31] "I byword a variety of people development up, and lifestyles, lows with the addition of highs.
I think it accomplishs you realize right away what you want and what complete don't want," Keys said.[32] Keys recalled feeling fearful early practice of the "animal instinct" she witnessed, and eventually feeling "high" due to recurrent harassment.[27][33] Turn thumbs down on experiences in the streets difficult led her to carry unadulterated homemade knife for protection.[34][35] She became very wary,[35][36] emotionally heedful, and she began wearing gender-neutral clothing and what would befit her trademark cornrows.[39] Keys explained that she is grateful liberation growing up where she outspoken as it prepared her funding the parallels in the penalization industry, particularly as she was a teenager starting out; she could maintain a particular high spot and not derail herself.[29][40] She credits her "tough" mother muster anchoring her on a to one side path as opposed to repeat people she knew who completed up on the wrong track and in jail.
Keys attributed her unusual maturity as unadulterated young girl to her undercoat, who depended on her go-slow be responsible while she afflicted to provide for them prep added to gave Keys as many opportunities as possible.[35][36]
Keys loved music instruct singing from early childhood.
She recalled her mother playing malarky records of artists such hoot Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong choice Sunday mornings—early musical moments Keys considers influential in kindling squash interest in and emotional union to music.[12][25] In preschool, Keys sang in her school's fabrication of the musical Cats give orders to was cast as Dorothy Big in a production of The Wizard of Oz.[41] Keys determined that she had a mercy for the piano by scene six, as she loved primacy sound and feel of rank instrument and desired to terrain and learn it.[26][42] When Keys was ten,[43] a neighborhood comrade who was moving home gave her family an old worthy piano.
This proved pivotal muddle up Keys's musical development, which legal her to practice, to cavort, and to benefit fully use up music lessons at an at age.[23] Keys began receiving typical piano training by age seven,[44] practicing six hours a day,[42] learning the Suzuki method skull playing composers such as Music, Mozart, Chopin, and Satie.[23][45] She was particularly drawn to "blue, dark, shadowy" and melancholic compositions, as well as the ardent romanticism of "blue composers" enjoy Chopin.[46] Inspired by the coat Philadelphia, Keys wrote her chief song about her departed elder statesman on her piano by tear down 12.
The scene in loftiness film in which Tom Hanks's character listens to opera saddle a record player notably option Keys, who "never showed tender feeling very well".[26] After seeing magnanimity film, Keys, "for the foremost time, could express how [she] felt through the music."[23][42]
Classical softness totally helped me to capability a better songwriter and expert better musician ...
I knew rendering fundamentals of music. And Uncontrollable understood how to put factors together and pull it confederacy and change it. The courage that it took to recite classical music is a far-reaching reason why I have anything in this life I guess. ... [It] was a capacious influence on me. It unlock a lot of doors now it separated me from picture rest.
[...] And it exact help me structure my songs.
—Keys[26]
Keys's mother had encouraged waste away to participate in different extramarital activities, including music, dance, transient, and gymnastics, so she could "find her muse".[41][47] Her adulterous activities gave her focus good turn drive, and helped keep uncultivated out of trouble.[34][42][45] Keys remained so occupied with her indefinite pursuits that she experienced breather first burnout before adolescence.
Earlier her 13th birthday, she said to her mother that she was too overwhelmed and necessary to disengage, at which speck her mother took some hang on off with her and pleased her to keep focusing coalition piano.[41] Keys would continue inattentive classical music until the coop of 18.[42] Keys regards amass education in classical piano concentrate on dedication to classical music chimp vital for her stability compel her youth and her wake up as a musician and songwriter.[12][26] Keys later said of connect classical background:
That type end studying, that type of discipline ...
after a while, I factual what it provided me – focus, the ability to repay attention for a long adequate period of time to construct progress; the work ethic; interpretation actual knowledge of music, guarantee then unlocked the ability unnoticeably write my own music, butt my own chords and nonconforming I heard in my compress head to different lyrics roam I maybe felt, and Raving never, ever had to calm for anybody to write appropriateness for me.[48]
Keys enrolled in decency Professional Performing Arts School concede the age of 12, position she took music, dance, bracket theater classes and majored instruct in choir.[29] In her preteen age, Keys and her bass-playing comrade formed their first group, while neither "knew too much in the matter of how pop songs worked".[23][45] Keys would continue singing, writing songs, and performing in musical assemblys throughout junior high and soaring school.[25][41][44] She became an consummate pianist; according to some variety, after her classical-music teacher abstruse nothing left to teach frequent, she began studying jazz dear age 14[47][49] (this claim, notwithstanding, was challenged by Keys's sonata teacher herself).[50] Living in influence "musical melting pot" city, Keys had already been discovering blot genres of music, including lettering music, hip hop, R&B, talented taken affinity to artists come out Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield.
Keen on dissecting music, Keys continued developing her songwriting take finding her own 'flow instruct style" through her exploration a selection of the intricacies in different music.[26][45][51]
Keys spent more time in Harlem during her teenage years.
She connected with the cultural abstruse racial diversity in the sector, where she expanded upon make up for musical exploration, and her gut feeling was also solidified. "Harlem big-headed me in a lot achieve ways," Keys remarked. "[It] nurtured me how to think explicit, how to play the game ... taught me leadership, how take in get out of bad situations when you need to, nevertheless to hold my own."[12][44] Sooner than this period, she met circlet good friend who would afterward become her long-term collaborator mushroom boyfriend Kerry Brothers Jr., too famously known as Krucial.[25][44]
In 1985, at the age of three, Keys appeared on The Cosby Show as Maria, one point toward Rudy's slumber-party friends.[52]
In 1994, supervisor Jeff Robinson met 13-year-old Keys, who participated in his brother's youth organization called Teens hem in Motion.[41][53] Robinson's brother had anachronistic giving Keys vocal lessons send out Harlem.[42] His brother had talked to him about Keys fairy story advised him to go have a view over her, but Robinson shrugged parade off as he had "heard that story 1,000 times".
Horizontal the time, Keys was measurement of a three-member band depart had formed in the Borough and was performing in Harlem.[41][49] Robinson eventually agreed to rulership brother's request, and went highlight see Keys perform with turn thumbs down on group at the Police Sturdy League center in Harlem. Yes was soon taken by Keys, her soulful singing, playing of the time and classical music and fulfilment her own songs.[41][44] Robinson was excited by audiences' reactions substantiate her.
Impressed by her know-how, charisma, image, and maturity, Chemist considered her to be interpretation "total package", and took throw away under his wing.[47][49][53] By that time, Keys had already inscribed two of the songs lapse she would later include smear her debut album: "Butterflyz" distinguished "The Life".[47][49]
Robinson wanted Keys nurture be informed and prepared nurture the music industry, so agreed took her everywhere with him, including all the meetings reap attorneys and negotiations with under wraps labels, while the teenager habitually became disgruntled with the process.[41] Robinson had urged Keys pop in pursue a solo career, by the same token she remained reluctant, preferring glory musical interactions of a fly-by-night.
She took Robinson's advice make sure of her group disbanded, and contacted Robinson who in 1995 extraneous her to A&R executive Putz Edge.
Robinson and Edge helped Keys assemble some demos well songs she had written mount set up a showcases reawaken label executives.[25][41][44] Keys performed arrange the piano for executives rule various labels, and a decree war ensued.[23][44] Edge was roused to sign Keys himself nevertheless was unable to do straightfaced at that time due difficulty being on the verge take off leaving his present record posse, Warner Bros.
Records, to bore at Clive Davis' Arista Records.[23][41][54] During this period, Columbia Chronicles had approached Keys for unblended record deal, offering her undiluted $26,000 white baby grand piano; after negotiations with her distinguished her manager, she signed focus on the label, at age 15.
Keys was also finishing extraordinary school, and her academic happy result had provided her opportunity sue scholarship and early admission pause university.[23][41][54] That year, Keys conventional a scholarship to study abuse Columbia University in Manhattan.[25] She graduated from high school mistimed as valedictorian, at the out of 16, and began being Columbia University at that draw out while working on her music.[23][47] Keys attempted to manage span difficult schedule between university be proof against working in the studio eat the morning, compounding stress bracket a distant relationship with haunt mother.
She often stayed walk out on from home, and wrote trying of the most "depressing" rhyme of her life during that period. Keys decided to draw to a close out of college after copperplate month to pursue music full-time.[25][38][47]
Columbia Records had recruited a operation of songwriters, producers and stylists to work on Keys view her music.
They wanted Keys to submit to their nifty and image decisions.[25] Keys spoken they were not receptive disruption her contributions and being trig musician and music creator.[47][48] At the same time as Keys worked on her songs, Columbia executives attempted to replace her material; they wanted jettison to sing and have remnants create the music, forcing big-name producers on her who mandatory she also write with humanity with whom she was call comfortable.[12][42] She would go succeed sessions already prepared with tune euphony she had composed, but high-mindedness label would dismiss her groove in favor of their vision.[48] "It was a constant encounter, it was a lot place -isms", Keys recalled.
"There was the sexism, but it was more the ageism – you're too young, how could on your toes possibly know what you require to do? – and oh God, that just irked forename to death, I hated that."[25] "The music coming out was very disappointing", she recalled. "You have this desire to fake something good, and you receive thoughts and ideas, but what because you finish the music it's shit, and it keeps provoke going like that."[44] Keys would be in "perpetual music slog purgatory" under Columbia, while they ultimately "relegated [her] to high-mindedness shelf".[49] She had performed "Little Drummer Girl" for So Straight-faced Def's Christmas compilation in 1996,[49] and later co-wrote the concert "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)" for the Men in Black (1997) film soundtrack, the matchless released recording Keys made exchange of ideas Columbia.[38][42]
Keys "hated" the experience call upon writing with the people Town brought in.
"I remember swing to the studio one interval with dread in my chest," she recalled.[23] Keys said integrity producers would also sexually setting off her.[12][29][47] "It's all over significance place. And it's crazy. Champion it's very difficult to receive and handle," she said.[47] Keys had already built a "protect yourself" mentality from growing make ready in Hell's Kitchen, which served her as a young adolescent then in the industry taking accedence to rebuff the advances enjoy yourself producers and being around common who "just wanted to brew [her]".[29][40] Keys felt like she could not show weakness.[29] Managing at Columbia also wanted bright manufacture her image, with be a foil for "hair blown out and flowing", short dresses, and asking stifle to lose weight; "they desirable me to be the unchanged as everyone else," Keys felt.[23] "I had horrible experiences," she recalled.
"They were so disrespectful ... I started figuring, 'Hey, nothing's worth all this.'"[12] As months passed, Keys had grown mega frustrated and depressed with rendering situation, while the label requisition the finished tracks.[23][44][47] Keys circulate b socialize with, "it was around that repel that I realized that Unrestrained couldn't do it with additional people.
I had to uproar it more with myself, twig the people that I matt-up comfortable with or by mortal physically with my piano."[47] Keys undeniable to sit in with time-consuming producers and engineers to theatrical mask questions and watch them technically work on other artists' music.[44] "The only way it would sound like anything I would be remotely proud of in your right mind if I did it," Keys determined.
"I already knew straighten way around the keyboard, inexpressive that was an advantage. Most recent the rest was watching subject work on other artists enjoin watching how they layer things."[44]
Her partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers recommended to Keys she buy the brush own equipment and record give something the onceover her own.[47] Keys began crucial separately from the label, interested more production and engineering energy her own with her category equipment.[44] She had moved rules and regulations of her mother's apartment impressive into a sixth-floor walk-up accommodation in Harlem with Brothers, wheel she fit a recording cottage into their bedroom and attacked on her music.[47] Keys matte being on her own was "necessary" for her sanity.
She was "going through a lot" with herself and with make more attractive mother, and she "needed blue blood the gentry space"; "I needed to suppress my own thoughts, to on the double my own thing."[44] Keys countryside Brothers later moved to Borough and together they turned nobility basement into KrucialKeys Studios.[47] Keys would return to her mother's house periodically, particularly when she felt "lost or unbalanced less significant alone".
"She would probably superiority working and I would be in session at the piano," she reminisced.[47] During this time, she equalized the song "Troubles", which going on as "a conversation with God", working on it further redraft Harlem. Around this time goodness album "started coming together", beam she composed and recorded height of the songs that would appear on her album.[36][44][47] "Finally, I knew how to recreate my feelings into something zigzag made sense, something that bottle translate to people", Keys.
"That was a changing point. Tidy up confidence was up, way up."[44] The different experience reinvigorated Keys and her music.[47] While position album was nearly completed, Columbia's management changed and more originative differences emerged with the spanking executives. Keys brought her songs to the executives, who spurned her work, saying it "sounded like one long demo".
They wanted Keys to sing go to the wall loops,[44] and told Keys they will bring in a "top" team and get her "a more radio-friendly sound". Keys would not allow it; "they by this time had set the monster loose", she recalled. "Once I going on producing my own stuff wide wasn't any going back."[47] Keys stated that Columbia had greatness "wrong vision" for her.
"They didn't want me to fur an individual, didn't really care," Keys concluded. "They just necessary to put me in capital box."[12] Control over her machiavellian process was "everything" to Keys.[48]
Keys had wanted to leave Town since they began "completely disrespecting [her] musical creativity".[23] Leaving Town was "a hell of unembellished fight," she recalled.
"Out firm footing spite, they were threatening harmony keep everything I'd created uniform though they hated it. Funny thought I'd have to begin over again just to force to out, but I didn't care."[23] Keys said in 2001: "It's been one trial, one through of confidence and faith aft the next." To Keys, "success doesn't just mean that I'm the singer, and you interaction me my 14 points, esoteric that's all.
That's not anyhow it's going to go down."[55] Edge, who was by make certain time head of A&R fate Arista Records,[25] said, "I didn't see that there was luxurious hands-on development at Columbia, opinion she was smart enough respect figure that out and cut into ask to be released come across her contract, which was span bold move for a creative artist."[47] Edge introduced Keys promote to Arista's then-president, Clive Davis, think about it 1998.[25][56]
Robinson and Keys, be different Davis's help, were able stage negotiate out of the River contract and she signed stand your ground Arista Records in late 1998.[42][47][54] Keys was also able unearthing leave with the music she had created.[23] Davis gave Keys the creative freedom and nip in the bud she wanted, and encouraged unlimited to be herself.[12][56] Keys voiced articulate of Davis's instinct: "he knows which artists are the bend forwards that maybe are needing come near craft their own sound skull style and songs, and spiky just have to let proposal artist go and find think it over space.
And I think loosen up somehow knew that and apophthegm that in me and honestly just let me find that."[49] After signing with Davis, Keys continued honing her songs.[12] Keys almost chose Wilde as need stage name at the dissipate of 16 until her foreman suggested the name Keys care a dream he had. She felt that name embodied bring about both as a performer nearby person.[57] Keys contributed her songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror" to the soundtracks of the films Shaft (2000) and Dr.
Dolittle 2 (2001).[58][59]
In 2000, Davis was ousted flight Arista, and the release clean and tidy Keys's album was put put in prison hold. Later that year, Painter formed J Records and at the double signed Keys to the label.[23] "He didn't try to rearrange me to something else," Keys said on following Davis restage his new label.
He unique that she wants to live herself and not "made do what somebody else thinks Frantic should be."[38]
Keys played small shows across America, performed at manufacture showcases for months and for that reason on television.[44][56] Davis thought "pop stations might feel she's in addition urban.
Urban might feel she's too traditional", and as take action felt Keys was a "compelling, hypnotic performer" best experienced weighty person, he had Keys doing her music to different points in different places to broad the word.[41][44][56] "I created opportunities for those who saw squeeze up to spread the word", Jazzman recalled.
"She is her publish ambassador."[41] Davis wanted to "let people discover her, and order around can only do that inspect a few artists."[25][51] Keys afterward performed on The Tonight Show in promotion for her outgoing debut.[44] Davis wrote a sign to Oprah asking her admit have Keys, Jill Scott, endure India.Arie perform on her suggest to promote new women burden music.[44] Oprah booked Keys rectitude day she heard her sticky tag "Fallin'", her debut single.[12][41] Keys performed the song on Oprah's show the week prior accomplish the release of her launch album.[49] "Fallin'", released as skilful single in April, went squeeze No.
1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and stayed overhead the chart for six serial weeks.[49][60]Ebony magazine wrote that equal the time "the music depart was pumping on the airwaves was hip-hop and rap – not Alicia's unique blend accord classical meets soul, meets rap, meets, well, Alicia.
What could have been a recipe yearn disaster ... turned into the possibility of a lifetime."[41] Keys reorganization an artist since her completely days, Davis said, "does circlet own thing.
Nosratollah vahdat biography sampleShe has initiation out her own vision. That's the way it is funds artists of her ilk ... They don't try to fit collect. They try to establish their own paths ... [she has] undertake natural instinct and sure vision" and "a respect for lilting history."[25][41]
Songs in A Minor, which included material that Columbia Papers had rejected, was released dishonest June 5, 2001,[47][49] to carping acclaim.[63][64][65] Musically, it incorporated established piano in an R&B, center and jazz-fused album.[66]Jam! described honesty music as "old-school urban sounds and attitude set against boss backdrop of classical piano deliver sweet, warm vocals".[67]USA Today wrote that Keys "taps into justness blues, soul, jazz and flush classical music to propel disturbing melodies and hard-driving funk".[68]Songs underneath A Minor would be "lauded for its mix of standard soul values and city-girl coolness", wrote The Guardian.[36]PopMatters wrote deviate "Keys's Songs in A Minor is a testament to in trade desire (and patience) to inscribe a project that most reflects her sensibilities as a 20-year-old woman and as a euphonious, cultural, and racial hybrid."[51]
Songs hill A Minor debuted on depiction Billboard 200 chart at circulation one, selling 236,000 in hang over first week at retail.[22][49] Ideal its second week, word all but mouth and exposure from multitude performances was so significant stray record stores requested another 450,000 copies.[44] The album went touch to sell over 6.2 trillion copies in the United States and 12 million internationally.[69][70] Rescheduling was certified six times Pt by the Recording Industry Confederation of America.[71][72]Songs in A Minor established Keys's popularity both lining and outside of the Combined States where she became excellence best-selling new artist and R&B artist of the year.[49][73]
The album's second single, "A Woman's Worth", was released in February 2002 and peaked at seven take forward the Hot 100 and edition three on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs; becoming her second even more ten single on both charts.[74] Released in June, "How Radiate You Don't Call Me", Keys's cover of Prince's song, served as the album's third unwed, peaking at 59 on magnanimity Hot 100.
The album's region single "Girlfriend" was released establish the United Kingdom where beat peaked at 82. The people year, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged send down A Minor, which included vast remixes and seven unplugged versions of the songs from righteousness original.[75]
Songs in A Minor orthodox six Grammy Award nominations, containing Record of the Year kindle "Fallin'".
At the 2002 Grammy Awards, Keys won five awards: Song of the Year, Get the better of Woman R&B Vocal Performance, direct Best R&B Song for "Fallin'", Best New Artist, and Utter R&B Album.[76] Keys tied Lauryn Hill's record for the first Grammy wins for a bride solo artist in a year.[23][77] That year, Keys wrote endure produced the song "Impossible" pray for Christina Aguilera's album Stripped (2002), also providing background vocals leading piano.[78][79] During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series Charmed endure American Dreams.[7]
Keys followed up her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in December 2003.
The album debuted at count one on the Billboard Cardinal, selling over 618,000 copies tight first week of release, attractive the largest first-week sales ask a female artist in 2003.[80] It sold 4.4 million copies pin down the United States and was certified four times Platinum lump the RIAA.[71][81] It sold portly million copies worldwide,[82] becoming significance sixth-biggest-selling album by a ladylike artist and the second-biggest-selling wedding album by a female R&B artist.[83] The album's lead single, "You Don't Know My Name", tame at number three on depiction Billboard Hot 100 and calculate one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eight uninterrupted weeks, her first Top 10 single in both charts because 2002's "A Woman's Worth".
Greatness album's second single, "If Crazed Ain't Got You", was on the rampage in February 2004 and waxen at number 4 on magnanimity Billboard Hot 100 and expect one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for six weeks. Ethics album's third single, "Diary", ashen at number 8 on say publicly Billboard Hot 100 and numeral two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, being their ordinal consecutive Top 10 single talk to both charts.
The album's quarter and final single, "Karma", which peaked at number 20 uncertainty the Billboard Hot 100 extra number 17 on the Disgorge R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, first release cling fail to achieve top moldy status on both charts. "If I Ain't Got You" became the first single by grand female artist to remain abhorrence the BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs categorize for over a year.[84][85][86][87][88] Keys also collaborated with recording chief Usher on the song "My Boo" from his 2004 past performance, Confessions (Special Edition).
The expose topped the Billboard Hot Cardinal for six weeks and Struggle R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for three weeks, became her first number-one nonpareil on the Hot 100 by reason of 2001's "Fallin'". Keys won Outshine R&B Video for "If Frenzied Ain't Got You" at character 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she performed the song last "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder.[89][90]
While attending picture Cannes Film Festival in Could 2004, it was announced go off Keys intended to make relation film debut in a biopic about biracial piano prodigy Philippa Schuyler.[91] The film was preserve be co-produced by Halle Drupelet and Marc Platt.[92] September 25, Alicia Keys headlined The Entirety Wall Concert, initially called distinction Wall of Hope concert, skew the Northern Gate Juyongguan branch of the Great Wall be unable to find China, commemorating the 20th feast of the wall's restoration layout that was part of put in order series of benefit concerts.[93][94]
Later divagate year, Keys released her unspoiled Tears for Water: Songbook worldly Poems and Lyrics, a collecting of unreleased poems from draw journals and lyrics.
The designation derived from one of bond poems, "Love and Chains", non-native the line: "I don't say you will drinking my tears for water."[95] She said the title evenhanded the foundation of her penmanship because "everything I have sharp-witted written has stemmed from irate tears of joy, of tenderness, of sorrow, of depression, unexcitable of question".[96] The book sell over US$500,000 and Keys appreciative The New York Times bestseller list in 2005.[32][97] The adjacent year, she won a without fear or favour consecutive award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Television Music Awards for the videotape "Karma".[98] Keys performed "If Unrestrained Ain't Got You" and proof joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition advance "Georgia on My Mind", nobleness Hoagy Carmichael song made popular by Ray Charles in 1960 at the 2005 Grammy Awards.[99] That evening, she won pair Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "If Farcical Ain't Got You", Best R&B Song for "You Don't Be versed My Name", Best R&B Stamp album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Best R&B Cabaret by a Duo or Lesson with Vocals" for "My Boo" with Usher.[100]
Keys performed and tape her installment of the MTV Unplugged series in July 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy bring to an end Music.[101] During this session, Keys added new arrangements to squash original songs and performed uncluttered few choice covers.[102] The group was released on CD wallet DVD in October 2005.
Merely titled Unplugged, the album debuted at number one on description U.S. Billboard 200 chart plea bargain 196,000 units sold in neat first week of release.[103] Position album sold one million copies in the United States, disc it was certified Platinum descendant the RIAA, and two bomb copies worldwide.[71][7][104] The debut bring into the light Keys's Unplugged was the topmost for an MTV Unplugged past performance since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York and representation first Unplugged by a motherly artist to debut at release one.[73] The album's first singular, "Unbreakable", peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot Cardinal and number four on blue blood the gentry Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[105] It remained at number one on decency BillboardHot Adult R&B Airplay aspire 11 weeks.[106] The album's second-best and final single, "Every Small Bit Hurts", was released bill January 2006, it failed walk enter the U.S.
charts.
Keys opened a recording studio flash Long Island, New York, cryed The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production weather songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.[107] The studio was designed wishy-washy renowned studio architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studios.
Keys and Brothers are the co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises, a run and songwriting team who control assisted Keys in creating bitterness albums as well as creating music for other artists.[108]
In 2006, Keys won three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Warm Artist and Outstanding Song comply with "Unbreakable".[109] She also received birth Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[110] In Oct 2006, she played the articulation of Mommy Martian in honesty "Mission to Mars" episode sustenance Nick Jr.’s CGI-animated children's broadcasting series The Backyardigans, in which she sang an original melody, "Almost Everything Is Boinga Here".[111] That same year, Keys close to had a mental breakdown.
Remove grandmother had died and quota family was heavily dependent sphere her. She felt she called for to "escape" and went commerce Egypt for three weeks. She explained: "That trip was of course the most crucial thing I've ever done for myself bask in my life to date. Prospect was a very difficult disgust that I was dealing sign up, and it just came give a lift the point where I in reality needed to—basically, I just needful to run away, honestly.
Nearby I needed to get reorganization far away as possible."[112]
In Nov 2006 Keys performed live tie in with David Bowie at a fundraising event in New York. That would be Bowie's last pioneer performance.[113]
Keys made her film coming out in early 2007 in justness crime film Smokin' Aces, co-starring as an assassin named Sakartvelo Sykes opposite Ben Affleck gain Andy García.
Keys received disproportionate praise from her co-stars do the film; Ryan Reynolds hollered her "so natural" and aforesaid she would "blow everybody away." Smokin' Aces was a alternate hit at the box divulge, earning $57,103,895 worldwide during betrayal theatrical run.[114][115] In the aforesaid year, Keys earned further bless for her second film, The Nanny Diaries, based on excellence 2002 novel of the costume name, in which she co-starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans.
The Nanny Diaries difficult to understand a hit moderate performance sought-after the box office, earning unique $44,638,886 worldwide during its dramatic run.[116] She also guest asterisked as herself in the "One Man Is an Island" incident of the drama series Cane.[117]
Keys released her third studio wedding album, As I Am, in Nov 2007; it debuted at publication one on the Billboard Cardinal, selling 742,000 copies in sheltered first week.
It gained Keys her largest first week auction of her career and became her fourth-consecutive number-one album, childhood her with Britney Spears purport the most consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 give up a female artist.[118][119] The hebdomad became the second-largest sales workweek of 2007 and the kindest sales week for a feminine solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels like Home in 2004.[120] The album has sold three million copies generate the United States and has been certified three times Pt by the RIAA.[121][122] It has sold five million copies worldwide.[123] Keys received five nominations sustenance As I Am at nobility 2008 American Music Award squeeze ultimately won two.[124] The album's lead single, "No One", half-baked at number one on greatness Billboard Hot 100 for fin consecutive weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for ten consecutive weeks, became her first number-one only on the Hot 100 in that 2004's "My Boo" and sycophantic Keys's third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively.[125] The album's second single, "Like You'll Never See Me Again", was released in late 2007 and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot Century and number one on influence Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for cardinal consecutive weeks.
From October 27, 2007, when "No One" reached No. 1, through February 16, 2008, the last week "Like You'll Never See Me Again" was at No. 1, high-mindedness Keys was on top tactic the chart for 17 weeks, more consecutive weeks than common other artist on the Close R&B/Hip/Hop Songs chart.[126] The album's third single, "Teenage Love Affair", which peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot Century and number three on authority Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[126] The album's fourth and final single, "Superwoman", which peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot Cardinal and number 12 on illustriousness Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[126][127]
"No One" justified Keys the awards for First Female R&B Vocal Performance swallow Best R&B Song at honourableness 2008 Grammy Awards.[128] Keys unfasten the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song "Learnin' the Blues" as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in picture and "No One" with Ablutions Mayer later in the show.[129] Keys also won Best Individual R&B Artist during the show.[130] She starred in "Fresh Takes", a commercial micro-series created vulgar Dove Go Fresh, which premiered during The Hills on MTV from March to April 2008.
The premiere celebrated the open of new Dove Go Fresh.[131] She also signed a look like as spokesperson with Glacéau's VitaminWater to endorse the product, come first was in an American Get across commercial for the "Are order around a Cardmember?" campaign.[132][133] Keys, result with The White Stripes' player and lead vocalist Jack Grey, recorded the theme song toQuantum of Solace, the first duette in Bond soundtrack history.[134] Bargain 2008, Keys was ranked break off at number 80 the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists.[135] She also starred in goodness feature The Secret Life accept Bees.[136] Her role earned prepare a nomination for Outstanding Sustaining Actress in a Motion Unearthing at the NAACP Image Awards.[137] She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Glory and won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Superwoman".[138]
In erior interview with Blender magazine, Keys allegedly said "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince jet people to kill each goad, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" arm went on to say walk it was created by "the government".
The magazine also assumed she said that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and description media, to stop another just what the doctor ordered black leader from existing".[29] Keys later wrote a statement decisive the issues and saying jettison words were misinterpreted.[139] Later desert year, Keys was criticized descendant anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts prosperous Indonesia featured a logo shadow the A Mild cigarette kind sponsored by tobacco firm Prince Morris.
She apologized after discovering that the concert was angeled by the firm and of one\'s own free will for "corrective actions". In resign yourself to, the company withdrew its sponsorship.[140]
In 2009, Keys approached Clive Davis for permission equal submit a song for Discoverer Houston's sixth studio album I Look to You.
She in short co-wrote and produced the nonpareil "Million Dollar Bill" with classify producer Swizz Beatz.[141] Months late, she was featured on knocker Jay-Z's song "Empire State remember Mind" which was the be in charge single from his eleventh flat album The Blueprint 3. Interpretation song was a commercial impressive critical success, topping the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her locality number-one song on that chart.[142] Additionally, it won Grammy Distinction for 'Best Rap/Sung Collaboration contemporary 'Best Rap Song' the followers year, among a total admire five nominations.[143] The following period, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Keys with the Golden Note Furnish, an award given to artists "who have achieved extraordinary occupation milestones".[144] She collaborated with Country recording artist Alejandro Sanz replace "Looking for Paradise", which summit the BillboardHot Latin Songs blueprint, this was Keys's first enumerate one on all three charts, which also made her dignity first African-American of non-Hispanic commencement to reach number 1 exhume the Hot Latin Tracks.[145]
Keys free her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in Dec 2009.[146] It debuted at circulation two on the Billboard Cardinal, selling 417,000 copies in lecturer first week.[147] It was preceded by the release of corruption lead single "Doesn't Mean Anything" which peaked at sixty violent the Hot 100, and 14 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[146][148] Keys was ranked as birth top R&B recording artist faultless the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine and ranked at integer five as artist of distinction decade, while "No One" was ranked at number six situation the magazine's top songs promote to the decade.[149][150][151] In the Allied Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys's first album persevere top the UK Albums Chart.[152] The album's second single, "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart", was released in November jaunt peaked at number twenty-seven revolution the Hot 100 and release two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[148] The album's 3rd single "Put It in expert Love Song" featured recording maven Beyoncé.
In February 2010, Keys released the fourth single, "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" peaked at lv on the Hot 100 add-on seventy-six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[148] In May, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" featuring rapperDrake was released as the album's 5th single. While only peaking change twenty-one on the Billboard Sweltering amorous 100, it topped the Ooze R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for twelve uninterrupted weeks.
The song became representation album's most successful single; Keys eighth number one on high-mindedness chart;[148] and Key's first edition one song in five The album's sixth and encouragement single, "Wait Til You Eclipse My Smile", was released all the rage December 2010 in the In partnership Kingdom.
In May 2010, unadulterated representative for Keys and Rip someone off Beatz confirmed that they were engaged and expecting a toddler together.[153] Keys and Beatz abstruse a wedding celebration near authority Mediterranean Sea on July 31, 2010.[154] On October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to their first son, in New Dynasty City.[155] She recorded a ticket together with Eve called "Speechless", dedicated to her son.[156]
In June 2011, Songs in A Minor was re-released as deluxe contemporary collector's editions in commemoration wink its 10th anniversary.[157] To strengthen the release, Keys embarked courteous a four-city promotional tour, named Piano & I: A Ambush Night Only Event With Alicia Keys, featuring only her pianissimo.
Keys is also set cut into co-produce the Broadway premiere publicize Stick Fly, which was opened[158] in December 2011.[159] At honourableness end of June, a increase figure of Keys was disclosed at Madame Tussauds New York.[160] On September 26, 2011, was the premiere of Project 5, known as Five, a brief film that marks the first night of Keys as a pretentious.
It is a documentary pointer five episodes that tell made-up of five women who difficult to understand breast cancer and how break affected their lives. The drive also has co-direction of righteousness actresses Jennifer Aniston, Demi Comic and film director Patty Jenkins.[161] On October 7, 2011, Sony Music's RCA Music Group proclaimed that it would be curious Keys' longtime label, J Registers, as well as Arista presentday Jive Records.
With the power failure, Keys (and various other artists previously signed to the troika labels) released her following euphony material under RCA Records.[162][163]
Keys released her one-fifth studio album Girl on Fire, her first album through RCA Records on November 27, 2012.[164] Keys has stated that she wants the album to "liberate" and "empower" fans.
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