Born 25th January, 1981 in Manhattan, Alicia Keys is just 21 years old and yet she has the world at her feet with her amazing piano playing and her sultry, soulful voice.

Alicia began writing her debut album aged 14. By 16 she had graduated high school due to her outstanding grades, and went to Columbia University.

Alicia sung in a choir at school and was encouraged by her mother not to ever give up playing the piano. She is an accomplished singer and a classically trained pianist.

In 1998, aged just 17, Alicia joined Arista before moving to J Records late in 1999. Her debut album, “Songs in A Minor” was released in June 2001 in USA and a month later in UK.

APPEARANCE OF THE CD
Front cover:
A lovely picture of Alicia against a dark background. She confidently stands with her hands upon her hips wearing a dark green hat, black leather jacket, black & green striped shirt and a pair of jeans. It’s not a striking cover, but its pretty classy.

Rear cover:
A picture of Alicia playing her white piano dressed in bleached denim. Only Alicia could look cool in those clothes!

Inside:
Under the CD, there is another picture of Alicia wearing a hat, this time lying down. When you take the CD out of the case her pretty face greets you.

The disc itself:
This has a black & white picture of Alicia wearing sunglasses. At least it isn’t plain silver (yes, I have been known to put those in upside down!).

PERFORMANCE OF CD
Now to the interesting bit – listening to the CD, after all that is what you buy it for. I have had Alicia Keys mp3s since September so I was certain I liked her music, then my generous boyfriend bought me the CD a week ago.

1. Piano & I

A beautiful introduction to the CD, 1 minute and 51 seconds long. The lyrics aren’t great – Alicia rambles on about how long it took her to get here (she was trying for 2 years to release her debut album) and how she is finally ready for success.

“So yea, so what it took me like
Maybe 2 years and shit
But I fell in prepared
You know what I'm sayin
And I'm feelin' a little more ready for the world”

What is good about this song is the piano playing.

7/10

2. Girlfriend

If you haven’t heard the full album, you may have heard part of this song on the Fallin’ video.

I can certainly relate to the theme of this song – jealousy over your boyfriend’s female friends. Even though there is no real reason for her to feel jealous she resents the special relationship he has with his friend:

“I think I'm jealous of your girlfriend
Although she's just a girl that is your friend
I think I'm jealous of your girlfriend
She shares a special part of you”

The boyfriend’s voice is also represented:

“You say you’re jealous but you can’t tell me why”.

I think its natural to be a little suspicious of women who spend a lot of time with your boyfriend and I think this song illustrates that well.

The song has quite a laid back feel to it with great lyrics and Alicia’s mellow voice.

7/10

3. How Come You Don’t Call Me
(Written by Prince)

This song also has a laid back tempo, but Alicia’s voice is more soulful in this track.

I think a lot of women can relate to this song – waiting for a man to call. The lyrics explain that they are good together and still the man won’t call.

“What I wanna know baby
If what we had was good
How come you don't call me anymore”

My favourite part of the song would have to be:

“Still like it better when your holding me tight
Everybody say
Everybody say that we should never part (mmm)
Tell me baby baby baby why
Why you wanna go and break my heart”

This is a song with plenty of attitude, about how hard it is to accept that a relationship is over. It isn’t one of my favourites but I really like this song.

8/10

4. Fallin’

This is the first Alicia Keys song I heard, on the highlights of the MTV Music Awards. I was struck by her talents as a pianist, then by her great voice and the fantastic lyrics.

All relationships have their ups & downs and this song perfectly describes this.

“I keep on fallin'
In and out of love
With you
Sometimes I love ya
Sometimes u make me blue
Sometimes I feel good
At times I feel used
Lovin you darlin'
Makes me so confused”

I offended my boyfriend by telling him this is one of the songs that makes me think of him! What I meant is that in loving someone so intensely, it can cause a lot of pain.

“I, I, I have never felt this way,
How do you give me so much pleasure
Cause me so much pain”.

This is a great song to sing along to when you’ve had an argument with your partner. Great beat, fantastic lyrics and such a pleasant voice.

9/10

5. Troubles

A little more chilled out in its tempo than Fallin’. The tempo & lyrics perfectly illustrate her melancholy state.

“Feels like the world is closin' on me
Feels like my dreams will never come to me
I keep on slippin' deeper into myself
And I'm scared, so scared”

I listen to this when I’m feeling a bit depressed to remind myself that I’m not alone.

“If you're troubled, you just gotta let it go
If you're worried baby, you just gotta let it go
All your hustles aint for nothing, you just gotta take it slow
When you need me baby, all you do is let it go”

8/10

6. Rock Wit U

This song is Alicia Key’s collaboration with Isaac Hayes for the soundtrack of Shaft (2000) so it has a 70’s feel to it. Hayes also plays the Rhodes piano on this track.

Many people have commented that this song wouldn’t sound out of place on a porn film! Indeed it has a very sexy beat and her singing is quite deep & sultry.

“I wanna rock wit you
No matter what we do
Wit you wit only you
I wanna rock wit you”

This is a very funky, catchy song but not one of my favourites.

8/10

7. A Woman’s Worth

This song is about realising a woman’s worth and expressing appreciation by putting her first, buying her gifts etc:

“You could buy me diamonds
You could buy me pearls
Take me on a cruise around the world
Baby you know I'm worth it
Dinner lit by candle
Run my bubble bath
Make love tenderly to last, to last
Cause baby you know I'm worth it”

If a man treats his woman right he will get his rewards – she will always be there for him:

“If you treat me fairy
I'll give you all my goods
Treat you like a real woman should
Baby I know you're worth it
If you never play me
Promise not to bluff
I'll hold you down when shit gets rough
Cause baby I know you're worth it”

If he doesn’t she will leave him for someone who does know how to treat a woman!

I really like this song. It’s like girl power evolved! A woman deserves to be treated with respect, be loved and cherished.

This is one of the few songs where Alicia takes a break from her piano, instead using guitar (played by Arty White).

8/10

8. Jane Doe

A bit more up tempo than most of the songs, with additional vocals from Kandi Burruss.

This song is about an argument between a woman and her friend, when the friend accuses her man of cheating:

“Let's talk about the situation
bout how you came with information
that's negative in every which way
Just dissin my man and our relations
You say he's cheatin, want me to leave him
I've changed my mind I think I'll keep him
Listenin to you will leave me lonely
That's not what I'm tryin to be”

Alicia’s character in the song thinks her friend just wants her man for herself:

“See I caught you tryin to
Check my man out
How bout explainin
What that's all about”

She refuses to allow another woman to have her man, even if he has been unfaithful.

This is a good song, pretty catchy, but not one of the strongest tracks on the CD.

7/10

9. Goodbye

Even the piano on this song sounds sad. Incidentally, the greatly admired R&B artist, Brian McKnight, plays all the instruments on this track.

“How do you love someone
That hurts you oh so bad”

This song perfectly illustrates how hard it is to end a relationship, even though you know in your heart that it is over:

“Is this the end are you sure
How should you know when you've never been here before
It's so hard to just let go
When this is the one and only love I've ever known

So how do you find the words to say
To say goodbye
If your heart don't have the heart to say
To say goodbye”

I’ve been in that situation in the past and I think this song perfectly illustrates the pain involved. It’s not the most lively or cheerful song but it has meaningful lyrics and her voice is great.

8/10

10. The Life

The percussion, bass & guitar on this song give it a slightly Caribbean feel.

This song is basically about the struggle of life:

“This is the life, trying to survive
This is the life, trying to survive”

This is another quite sad song, with an undercurrent of depression:

“Slowly, internally, I'm dying
Pillow case is wet from all my crying
There is nothing more for me to live for
Take me away, I can't live that life no more”

Good vocals, good lyrics but lacking in catchiness. This is ideal to listen to when you’re feeling down and want to mope around.

6/10

11. Mr Man

Co-written by Jimmy Cozier, this song has a slighty Latin-American sound to it.

This is a pretty cool duet and you can imagine them dancing to it! He sees her in a bar but she is there with her boyfriend (Mr Man):

“Somethin' about the way you smiled at me juss drove me wild
Wish I could know if your alone, don't wanna cramp your style”

She enjoys the attention (and is attracted to him) but doesn’t want to be unfair to her boyfriend:

“Like the way you've given me attention through the nite
Maybe I've had too much remy, my man's right by my side
Everytime I catch you watchin' me I feel somethin' down my spine
I'll play the game, it's just for fun and only for tonite”

Their voices blend well and it’s quite a catchy song.

8/10

12. Never Felt This Way (interlude)

Brian McKnight wrote this beautiful song, and it describes how I feel about my boyfriend!

“There will never come a day
You will ever hear me say
That I want
Or need to be without you
I wanna give my all”

Alicia’s wonderful piano playing backs up outstanding vocals and lyrics to make this one of my favourite tracks on “Songs in A Minor”.

10/10

13. Butterflyz

This is another great song and it follows on perfectly from the previous song. The tempo is a little faster than “Never Felt This Way” but the vocals and piano are just as beautiful.

This is a wonderfully romantic song about how being with the one you loves gives you butterflies:

“Lately when I look into your eyes
Baby I fly, your the only one I need in my life
Baby I just don't know how to describe,
How lovely you make me feel inside”

9/10

14. Why Do I Feel So Sad

Another sad song - you can really hear the pain in her voice for these melancholy songs. This song makes me cry almost every time I hear it.

This song is about the end of a relationship and how change is inevitable:

“Friends we've been for so long
Now true colors are showing
Makes me wanna cry oh yes it does
Cuz I had to say goodbye

By now I should know
That in time things would change
So it shouldn't be so bad
So why do I feel so sad”

Get the tissues out for this lovely song.

8/10

15. Caged Bird

Presumably inspired by Maya Angelou’s autobiography of the same name.

Being caged up and watched by others, she tries to hide her inner turmoil:

“Right now I feel like a bird
Caged without a key
Everyone comes to stare at me
With so much joy and rivalry
They don't know how I feel inside
Through my smile I cry”

Without freedom, her only joy comes from song.

Although this is a sad song, it is filled with hope as Alicia sings:

“Why not just set her free
So she can
Fly, fly, fly”

The lack of accompaniment, save from the gentle piano playing, makes the listener focus on Alicia’s beautiful powerful voice and the meaning of the lyrics.

7/10

16. Hidden track: Lovin’ You

This is my favourite song on the whole CD – just singing it makes me smile. It is reminiscent of “Natural Woman”.

It is a romantic song with a good beat, great lyrics and its very catchy.

“Those wonderful things that you do
They got me feelin'
In love with you
In love with you
Loving you is easy
Comes so naturally”

Turn this song up loud and sing about the person you love!

11/10!

This is my favourite CD at the moment. With its mixture of moods, it is suitable for many an occasion – play it whilst you relax in the bath, snuggle up with the one you love, sob your heart out if you’ve been dumped. But most importantly buy this CD! (I recommend cd wow who sell chart cds for £8.99 but as mine was a gift I have no idea how much my boyfriend paid).