Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys (married name: Alicia J. Dean, born: Alicia J. Augello-Cook; January 25, 1981) is an Italian-American/African-American singer-songwriter, musician, actress, record producer & philanthropist. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records.

Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide.[1] She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001.[2] The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artistand Song of the Year for "Fallin'".[3] Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies.[4] The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005.[5] Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States.[6] She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.[2]

Keys made guest appearances on several television series in the following years, beginning with Charmed. She made her film debut in Smokin' Aces and went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in the same year and sold six million copies worldwide, earning Keys an additional three Grammy Awards. The following year, she appeared in The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. She released her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009, which became Keys' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom. Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and has sold over 35 million albums worldwide and 30 million singles, which makes her one of the best selling artists of all time. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000–2009 decade, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time. In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[7] Billboard magazine placed her number ten on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years.[8]

1981–2001: Early life and career beginnings
She was born Alicia J. Augello-Cook on January 25, 1981, in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City.[9 ] [10 ]  [11 ]  She is the only child of Teresa Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant.[12 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-China_Daily_12-0" style="line-height:1em;">[13 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Times_13-0" style="line-height:1em;">[14 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14" style="line-height:1em;">[15 ]  Keys' mother is of Italian, Scottish, and Irish descent, and her father is African-American;<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ref111_15-0" style="line-height:1em;">[16 ]  Keys has expressed that she was comfortable with her biracial heritage because she felt she was able to "relate to different cultures".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Guardian_Interview_9-1" style="line-height:1em;">[10 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="line-height:1em;">[17 ]  Her parents separated when she was two and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17" style="line-height:1em;">[18 ]  In 1985, Keys made an appearance on The Cosby Show at the age of four, where she and a group of girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable's sleepover guests in the episode "Slumber Party".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Age_18-0" style="line-height:1em;">[19 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Cosby_Show_19-0" style="line-height:1em;">[20 ]  Throughout her childhood, Keys was sent to music and dance classes by her mother.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" style="line-height:1em;">[21 ]  She began playing the piano when she was seven and learned classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rolling_Stone_11-1" style="line-height:1em;">[12 ]  Keys enrolled in the Professional Performing Arts School at the age of 12, where she majored in choir and began writing songs at the age of 14.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-China_Daily_12-1" style="line-height:1em;">[13 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-WeinerUnlocked_21-0" style="line-height:1em;">[22 ]  She graduated in four years as valedictorian at the age of 16.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NY_Times_22-0" style="line-height:1em;">[23 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1994 Keys met long-term manager Jeff Robinson after she enrolled in his brother's after-school program.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-mycrains.crainsnewyork.com_23-0" style="line-height:1em;">[24 ] The following year Robinson introduced Keys to her future A&R at Arista Records, Peter Edge, who later described his first impressions to HitQuarters: "I had never met a young R&B artist with that level of musicianship. So many people were just singing on top of loops and tracks, but she had the ability, not only to be part of hip-hop, but also to go way beyond that."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-hitquarters.com_24-0" style="line-height:1em;">[25 ]  Edge helped Robinson create a showcase for Keys and also got involved in developing her demo material. He was keen to sign Keys himself but was unable to do so at that time due to being on the verge of leaving his present record company. Keys signed to Columbia Records soon after.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-hitquarters.com_24-1" style="line-height:1em;">[25 ] At the same time as signing a recording contract with Columbia Records, Keys was accepted into Columbia University. At first, Keys attempted to manage both but after four weeks dropped out of college to pursue her musical career fulltime.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NY_Times_22-1" style="line-height:1em;">[23 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Jet_25-0" style="line-height:1em;">[26 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and So So Def Recordings, where she appeared on the label's Christmas album performing "The Little Drummer Girl". She also co-wrote and recorded a song entitled "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Jet_25-1" style="line-height:1em;">[26 ] The song was Keys' first professional recording; however, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia ended after a dispute with the label. Keys was unhappy with the label because her career had stalled during her two years under contract at Columbia due to executive indecision over her direction and major changes within the company.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-hitquarters.com_24-2" style="line-height:1em;">[25 ] Keys called Clive Davis, who sensed a "special, unique" artist from her performance and signed her to Arista Records, which later disbanded.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Allmusic_8-1" style="line-height:1em;">[9 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Guardian_Interview_9-2" style="line-height:1em;">[10 ]  Keys almost chose Wilde as her stage name until her manager suggested the name Keys after a dream he had. Keys felt that name represented her both as a performer and person.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" style="line-height:1em;">[27 ] Following Davis to his newly formed J Records label, she worked with Kerry "Krucial" Brothers and recorded the songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror", which were featured on the soundtracks to the films Shaft (2000) and Dr. Doolittle 2 (2001), respectively.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" style="line-height:1em;">[28 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="line-height:1em;">[29 ]

2001-2002: Songs in A Minor
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys released her first studio album, Songs in A Minor<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and sold 236,000 copies in its first week. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[32 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">The album sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[33 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> where it was certified six times Platinum<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> by the Recording Industry Association of America<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">(RIAA). <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-RIAA_33-0" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[34 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> It went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[35 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> establishing Keys' popularity both inside and outside the United States, where she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Buzzworthy_1-2" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[2 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The album's lead single, " Fallin'<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[36 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The album's second single, " A Woman's Worth<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", was released in February 2002 and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, as her second Top 10 single in both charts. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[37 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The album's third single, " How Come You Don't Call Me<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", was released in June 2002 and peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and number 30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. The album's fourth single, " Girlfriend<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", was released in November 2002 in UK and peaked at number 82 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. The following year, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, which included eight remixes<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and seven unplugged versions of the songs from the original.

Songs in A Minor<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> led Keys to win five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">: Song of the Year<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, and Best R&B Song<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> for "Fallin'", Best New Artist<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, and Best R&B Album<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">; "Fallin'" was also nominated for Record of the Year<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. Keys became the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night, following Lauryn Hill<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> at the 41st Grammy Awards<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[38 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> That same year, she collaborated with Christina Aguilera<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> for the latter's upcoming album Stripped<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> on a song entitled "Impossible", which Keys wrote, co-produced, and provided with background vocals. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[39 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series Charmed<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and American Dreams<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rolling_Stone_11-2" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[12 ]

2003-2005: The Diary of Alicia Keys and Unplugged
<p style="line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys followed up her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in December 2003. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release, becoming the largest first-week sales for a female artist in 2003.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39" style="line-height:1em;">[40 ] It sold 4.4 million copies in the United States and was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-RIAA_33-1" style="line-height:1em;">[34 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40" style="line-height:1em;">[41 ]  It sold eight million copies worldwide,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41" style="line-height:1em;">[42 ]  becoming the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B artist.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42" style="line-height:1em;">[43 ]  The album's lead single, "You Don't Know My Name", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for eight consecutive weeks, her first Top 10 single in both charts since 2002's "A Woman's Worth". The album's second single, "If I Ain't Got You", was released in February 2004 and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for six weeks. The album's third single, "Diary", peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, being their third consecutive Top 10 single in both charts. The album's fourth and final single, "Karma", which peaked at number 20 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, first release to fail to achieve top ten status on both charts. "If I Ain't Got You" became the first single by a female artist to remain on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NY_Daily_News_43-0" style="line-height:1em;">[44 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44" style="line-height:1em;">[45 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45" style="line-height:1em;">[46 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46" style="line-height:1em;">[47 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47" style="line-height:1em;">[48 ]  Keys also collaborated with recording artist Usher on the song "My Boo" from his 2004 album, Confessions (Special Edition). The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for three weeks, became her first number-one single in Hot 100 since 2001's "Fallin'".

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys won Best R&B Video for "If I Ain't Got You" at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she performed the song and "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="line-height:1em;">[49 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49" style="line-height:1em;">[50 ]  Later that year, Keys released her novel Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics. The title derived from one of her poems, "Love and Chains" from the line: "I don't mind drinking my tears for water."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50" style="line-height:1em;">[51 ] She said the title is the foundation of her writing because "everything I have ever written has stemmed from my tears of joy, of pain, of sorrow, of depression, even of question".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-51" style="line-height:1em;">[52 ]  The book sold over US$500,000 and Keys made The New York Times bestseller list in 2005.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Daily_Telegraph_52-0" style="line-height:1em;">[53 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53" style="line-height:1em;">[54 ]  The following year, she won a second consecutive award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for the video "Karma".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54" style="line-height:1em;">[55 ]  Keys performed "If I Ain't Got You" and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of "Georgia on My Mind", the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by Ray Charles in 1960 at the 2005 Grammy Awards.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55" style="line-height:1em;">[56 ]  That evening, she won four Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Ain't Got You", Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name", Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for "My Boo" with Usher.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="line-height:1em;">[57 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys performed and taped her installment of the MTV Unplugged series in July 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57" style="line-height:1em;">[58 ] During this session, Keys added new arrangements to her original songs and performed a few choice covers.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58" style="line-height:1em;">[59 ]  The session was released on CD and DVD in October 2005. Simply titled Unplugged, the album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 units sold in its first week of release.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="line-height:1em;">[60 ] The album sold one million copies in the United States, where it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and two million copies worldwide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rolling_Stone_11-3" style="line-height:1em;">[12 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-RIAA_33-2" style="line-height:1em;">[34 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60" style="line-height:1em;">[61 ]  The debut of Keys' Unplugged was the highest for an MTV Unplugged album sinceNirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York and the first Unplugged by a female artist to debut at number one.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Buzzworthy_1-3" style="line-height:1em;">[2 ]  The album's first single, "Unbreakable", peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61" style="line-height:1em;">[62 ]  It remained at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay for 11 weeks.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62" style="line-height:1em;">[63 ]  The album's second and final single, "Every Little Bit Hurts", was released in January 2006, it failed to enter the U.S. charts.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys opened a recording studio in Long Island, New York, called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63" style="line-height:1em;">[64 ] The studio was designed by 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 production and songwriting team who assisted Keys in creating her albums as well as create music for other artists.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64" style="line-height:1em;">[65 ]

2006-2008: Film debut and As I Am
<p style="line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">In 2006, Keys won three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Song for "Unbreakable".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65" style="line-height:1em;">[66 ] She also received the Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66" style="line-height:1em;">[67 ]  In October 2006, she played the voice of Mommy Martian in the "Mission to Mars" episode of the children's television series The Backyardigans, in which she sang an original song, "Almost Everything Is Boinga Here".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67" style="line-height:1em;">[68 ]  That same year, Keys nearly suffered a mental breakdown. Her grandmother had died and her family was heavily dependent on her. She felt she needed to "escape" and went to Egypt for three weeks. She explained: "That trip was definitely the most crucial thing I've ever done for myself in my life to date. It was a very difficult time that I was dealing with, and it just came to the point where I really needed to—basically, I just needed to run away, honestly. And I needed to get as far away as possible."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_68-0" style="line-height:1em;">[69 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-69" style="line-height:1em;">[70 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys made her film debut in early 2007 in the crime film Smokin' Aces, co-starring as an assassin named Georgia Sykes opposite Ben Affleck and Andy García. Keys received much praise from her co-stars in the film; Reynolds said that Keys was "so natural" and that she would "blow everybody away". Smokin' Aces had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $57,103,895 worldwide during its theatrical run.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-70" style="line-height:1em;">[71 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71" style="line-height:1em;">[72 ]  In the same year, Keys earned further praise for her second film, The Nanny Diaries, based on the 2002novel of the same name, where she co-starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. The Nanny Diaries had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $44,638,886 worldwide during its theatrical run.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-72" style="line-height:1em;">[73 ] She also guest starred as herself in the "One Man Is an Island" episode of the drama series Cane.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-73" style="line-height:1em;">[74 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys released her third studio album, As I Am, in November 2007; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week. It gained Keys her largest first week sales of her career and became her fourth consecutive number one album, tying her with Britney Spears for the most consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 by a female artist.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-74" style="line-height:1em;">[75 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-75" style="line-height:1em;">[76 ]  The week became the second largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales week for a female solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels like Homein 2004.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-76" style="line-height:1em;">[77 ]  The album has sold nearly four million copies in the United States and has been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-77" style="line-height:1em;">[78 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-78" style="line-height:1em;">[79 ]  It has sold nearly six million copies worldwide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-79" style="line-height:1em;">[80 ]  Keys received five nominations for As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award and ultimately won two.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-80" style="line-height:1em;">[81 ]  The album's lead single, "No One", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for ten consecutive weeks, became her first number-one single in Hot 100 since 2004's "My Boo" and becoming Keys' third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-81" style="line-height:1em;">[82 ]  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 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for seven 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, the Keys was on top of the chart for 17 weeks, more consecutive weeks than any other artist in Hot R&B/Hip/Hop Songschart.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-As_I_Am_singles_82-0" style="line-height:1em;">[83 ] The album's third single, "Teenage Love Affair", which peaked at number 54 on the 'Billboard Hot 100 and number three on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-As_I_Am_singles_82-1" style="line-height:1em;">[83 ]  The album's fourth and final single, "Superwoman", which peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100and number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-As_I_Am_singles_82-2" style="line-height:1em;">[83 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-83" style="line-height:1em;">[84 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">"No One" earned Keys the awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-84" style="line-height:1em;">[85 ] Keys opened the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song "Learnin' the Blues" as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in video and "No One" with John Mayer later in the show.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-85" style="line-height:1em;">[86 ]  Keys also won Best Female R&B Artist during the show.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-86" style="line-height:1em;">[87 ]  She starred in "Fresh Takes", a commercial micro-series created by Dove Go Fresh, which premiered during The Hills on MTV from March to April 2008. The premiere celebrated the launch of new Dove Go Fresh.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-87" style="line-height:1em;">[88 ] She also signed a deal as spokesperson with Glacéau's VitaminWater to endorse the product,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-88" style="line-height:1em;">[89 ]  and was in an American Express commercial for the "Are you a Cardmember?" campaign.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-89" style="line-height:1em;">[90 ] Keys, along with The White Stripes' guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, recorded the theme song toQuantum of Solace, the first duet in Bond soundtrack history.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-90" style="line-height:1em;">[91 ]  In 2008, Keys was ranked in at number 80 the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-91" style="line-height:1em;">[92 ]  She also starred in The Secret Life of Bees, a film adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's acclaimed 2003 bestseller novel of the same name alongside Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning, Paul Bettany and Queen Latifah, released in October 2008 via Fox Searchlight. The Secret Life of Bees had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $39,947,322 worldwide during its theatrical run.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-92" style="line-height:1em;">[93 ] Her role earned her a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-93" style="line-height:1em;">[94 ]  She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Superwoman".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-94" style="line-height:1em;">[95 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">In an interview with Blender magazine, Keys allegedly said "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" and went on to say that it was created by "the government". The magazine also claimed she said that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-WeinerUnlocked_21-1" style="line-height:1em;">[22 ] Keys later wrote a statement clarifying the issues and saying her words were misinterpreted.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-95" style="line-height:1em;">[96 ]  Later that year, Keys was criticized by anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the A Mild cigarette brand sponsored by tobacco firmPhilip Morris. She apologized after discovering that the concert was sponsored by the firm and asked for "corrective actions". In response, the company withdrew its sponsorship.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-96" style="line-height:1em;">[97 ]

2009-2010 : The Element of Freedom, marriage and motherhood
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys and manager Jeff Robinson signed a film production deal to develop live-action and animated projects with <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Disney<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. Their first film will be a remake of the 1958 comedy <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Bell, Book and Candle<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and will star Keys as a witch who casts a love spell to lure a rival's fiancé. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-97" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[98 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys and Robinson also formed a television production company called Big Pita. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Big_Pita_98-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[99 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys and Robinson will develop live-action and animated projects from their company, Big Pita and Little Pita, with Keys as producer, thespian, banner spearheading soundtrack and music supervision. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-99" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[100 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys collaborated with the record producer Swizz Beatz to write and produce "Million Dollar Bill" for Whitney Houston's seventh studio album, I Look to You. Keys had approached Clive Davis for permission to submit a song for the album.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-100" style="line-height:1em;">[101 ] Keys also collaborated with the recording artist Jay-Z on the song "Empire State of Mind" from his 2009 album, The Blueprint 3. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became her fourth number-one single on that chart.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-101" style="line-height:1em;">[102 ] At the 53rd Grammy Awards ceremony, "Empire State of Mind" won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song. It had also been one of the five nominees forRecord of the Year.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-102" style="line-height:1em;">[103 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">The following month, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Keys with the Golden Note Award, an award given to artists "who have achieved extraordinary career milestones".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-103" style="line-height:1em;">[104 ] She collaborated with Spanish recording artist Alejandro Sanz for "Looking for Paradise", which topped the Hot Latin Songs chart, this was Keys' first number one on all three charts, which also made her the first African-American of non-Hispanic origin to reach #1 on the Hot Latin Tracks.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-104" style="line-height:1em;">[105 ]  Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rap-Up_105-0" style="line-height:1em;">[106 ]  It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 417,000 copies in its first week.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-106" style="line-height:1em;">[107 ]  As part of the promotional drive for the album, she performed at the Cayman Island Jazz Festival on December 5, the final night of the three day festival which will be broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-107" style="line-height:1em;">[108 ]  The album's lead single, "Doesn't Mean Anything", has peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rap-Up_105-1" style="line-height:1em;">[106 ]  Keys was ranked as the top R&B recording artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine and ranked at number five as artist of the decade, while her song, "No One", was ranked at number six on the magazine's songs of the decade.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-108" style="line-height:1em;">[109 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-109" style="line-height:1em;">[110 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-110" style="line-height:1em;">[111 ]  In the United Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys' first album to top the UK Albums Chart.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-111" style="line-height:1em;">[112 ]  The album's second single, "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart", was released in November 2009 and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's third single, "Put It in a Love Song", featuring Grammy-winner Beyoncé, peaked at number 60 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The music video for the single, which was filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been postponed several times, and later it was confirmed that Alicia Keys' team made a decision not to release the video. The album's fourth single, "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down", was released in February 2010 and peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 76 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's fifth single, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)", was released in May 2010 and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, for twelve consecutive weeks and became the album's most successful single, becoming Keys' eighth number-one single on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album's sixth and final single, "Wait Til You See My Smile", was released in December 2010 in the U.K only.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">In May 2009, Swizz Beatz announced that he and Keys were romantically involved<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-112" style="line-height:1em;">[113 ] and in May 2010, a representative for Keys and Swizz Beatz confirmed that they were engaged and expecting a child together.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-113" style="line-height:1em;">[114 ]  During the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the couple took part of a union and had the unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony, which took place in the Illovo suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-114" style="line-height:1em;">[115 ]  Keys and Beatz were married on the French island of Corsica on July 31, 2010.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-115" style="line-height:1em;">[116 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-116" style="line-height:1em;">[117 ]  On October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to a son, Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean, in New York City.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-117" style="line-height:1em;">[118 ]

2011–present: Other ventures and new album
<p style="line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">In June 2011, Songs in A Minor was re-released as deluxe and collector's editions in commemoration of its 10th anniversary.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MTV10th_118-0" style="line-height:1em;">[119 ] To support the release, Keys embarked on a four-city promotional tour, entitled Piano & I: A One Night Only Event With Alicia Keys, featuring only her piano. Keys is also set to co-produce the Broadway premiere of Stick Fly, which will open in December 2011.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-119" style="line-height:1em;">[120 ] On September 26, 2011, was the premiere of Project 5 known as Five, short film that marks the debut of Alicia Keys as a director. It is a documentary of five episodes that tell stories of five women who were victims of breast cancer and how it affected their lives. The production also has co-direction of the actresses Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and film director Patty Jenkins.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-120" style="line-height:1em;">[121 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">On September 23, she performed at iHeart Music Festival and sang her new song "A Place Of My Own", which is present in her fifth studio album.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-121" style="line-height:1em;">[122 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-122" style="line-height:1em;">[123 ]  On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding J Records along with Arista Records and Jive Records. With the shutdown, Keys (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material on RCA Records.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-123" style="line-height:1em;">[124 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-124" style="line-height:1em;">[125 ]  On Saturday February 18, 2012, Alicia performed "Prelude to a Kiss" at Whitney Houston's memorial at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-125" style="line-height:1em;">[126 ]  On April 27, she debuted a new song titled "Not Even the King" during MTV Upfront. On June 28th, Alicia officially released a new song online named "New Day", she previewed the song earlier in the day. The song is a solo version of the 50 Cent song which she features on with Dr Dre.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-126" style="line-height:1em;">[127 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-127" style="line-height:1em;">[128 ]

Artistry
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">An accomplished pianist, Keys incorporates piano into a majority of her songs and often writes about love, heartbreak and female empowerment. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Guardian_Interview_9-3" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[10 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Daily_Telegraph_52-1" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[53 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> She has cited several musicians as her inspirations, including Prince<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Nina Simone<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Barbra Streisand<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Marvin Gaye<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Quincy Jones<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Donny Hathaway<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and Stevie Wonder<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-128" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[129 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-129" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[130 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-130" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[131 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Keys' style is rooted in gospel and vintage soul music, supplemented by bass and programmed drumbeats by Joseph Quevedo. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Inner_Rebel_131-0" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[132 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">She heavily incorporates classical piano with R&B<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, soul<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and jazz<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> into her music. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-132" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[133 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-133" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[134 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> She began experimenting with other genres, including pop and rock, in her third studio album, As I Am<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Inner_Rebel_131-1" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[132 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Blender_134-0" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[135 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-135" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[136 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> transitioning from neo soul<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> to a 1980s and 1990s R&B sound with her fourth album, The Element of Freedom<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-136" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[137 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-137" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[138 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Patrick Huguenin of the New York Daily News<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> stated that her incorporation of classical piano riffs<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> contributed to her breakout success. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NY_Daily_News_43-1" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[44 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Jet<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> magazine states she "thrives" by touching her fans with "piano mastery, words and melodious voice". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-138" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[139 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The Independent<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> described her style as consisting of "crawling blues coupled with a hip-hop backbeat", noting that her lyrics "rarely stray from matters of the heart". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Independent_139-0" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[140 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Blender<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> magazine referred to her as "the first new pop artist of the millennium who was capable of changing music." <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-140" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[141 ]

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys has a <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> vocal range<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">of a <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> contralto<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, which spans three octaves. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NY_Daily_News_43-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[44 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-141" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[142 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">She can sing from B <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> flat<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">over an octave below middle C (B <span class="music-symbol" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);line-height:19.200000762939453px;font-family:'ArialUnicodeMS','LucidaSansUnicode';">♭ <sub style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">2 <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">) to B below soprano C (B <sub style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">5 <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">). Often referred to as the " Princess of Soul<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-QOS_29-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[30 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Independent_139-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[140 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys has been commended as having a strong, raw and impassioned voice; <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Warming_Up_142-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[143 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Chicago_Tribune_143-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[144 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">others feel that her voice is "emotionally manufactured" at times and that she pushes her voice out of its natural range. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Warming_Up_142-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[143 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Chicago_Tribune_143-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[144 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys' songwriting is often criticized for lack of depth, which has led to her writing abilities being called limited. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Warming_Up_142-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[143 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Her lyrics have been called generic, <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> clichéd<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and that her songs revolve around generalities. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Inner_Rebel_131-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[132 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Warming_Up_142-3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[143 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Greg Kot of the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Chicago Tribune<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">feels that she "[pokes] around for multi-format hits rather than trying to project any sort of artistic vision". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Chicago_Tribune_143-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[144 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Diversely, Jon Pareles of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Blender<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">magazine stated that the musical composition of her songs makes up for their lyrical weakness, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Blender_134-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[135 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">while Gregory Stephen Tate of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The Village Voice<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">compared Keys' writing and production to 1970s music. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Extensions_144-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[145 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and is listed on the Recording Industry Association of America's best-selling artists in the United States, with 15 million certified albums.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-145" style="line-height:1em;">[146 ] She has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has established herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Age_18-1" style="line-height:1em;">[19 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Extensions_144-1" style="line-height:1em;">[145 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-146" style="line-height:1em;">[147 ]

Philanthropy
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys is the co-founder and Global Ambassador of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Keep a Child Alive<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, a non-profit organization that provides medicine to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-147" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[148 ] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys and <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> U2<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">lead singer <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Bono<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">recorded a cover version of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Peter Gabriel<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Kate Bush<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">'s " Don't Give Up<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", in recognition of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> World AIDS Day<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">2005. Keys and Bono's version of the song was retitled "Don't Give Up (Africa)" to reflect the nature of the charity it was benefiting. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-148" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[149 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-149" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[150 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">She visited African countries such as <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Uganda<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Kenya and South Africa to promote care for children affected by AIDS. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-150" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[151 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-151" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[152 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-152" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[153 ]  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Her work in Africa was documented in the documentary <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">and was available in April 2008. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-153" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[154 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys has also donated to Frum tha Ground Up, a non-profit organization that aids children and teenagers with scholarships.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-154" style="line-height:1em;">[155 ] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-155" style="line-height:1em;">[156 ]  She performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the worldwide Live 8 concerts to raise awareness of the poverty in Africa and to pressure the G8 leaders to take action.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-156" style="line-height:1em;">[157 ]  In 2005, Keys performed on ReAct Now: Music & Relief and Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, two benefit programs that raised money for those affected byHurricane Katrina.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-157" style="line-height:1em;">[158 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-158" style="line-height:1em;">[159 ]  In July 2007, Keys and Keith Urban performed The Rolling Stones' 1969 song "Gimme Shelter" at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the American leg of theLive Earth concerts.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-159" style="line-height:1em;">[160 ]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-160" style="line-height:1em;">[161 ]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys performed Donny Hathaway's 1973 song "Someday We'll All Be Free" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes televised benefit concert following the September 11 attacks.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-161" style="line-height:1em;">[162 ] She participated in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert which took place at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2007, along with other various artists.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-162" style="line-height:1em;">[163 ]  She recorded a theme song for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. She joined Joss Stone and Jay-Z on the effort, which served as a theme song for Obama's campaign.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-163" style="line-height:1em;">[164 ] For her work, Keys was honored at the 2009 BET Awards with the Humanitarian Award.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-164" style="line-height:1em;">[165 ]  Keys performed the song "Prelude to a Kiss", retitled "Send Me an Angel", from her 2007 album As I Am for the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-165" style="line-height:1em;">[166 ]

Official Account

 * Twitter
 * Facebook
 * Instagram
 * Insstar
 * Instagweb
 * Buzzcent
 * Insstars
 * Photostags

Discography
Main article: Alicia Keys discography*Songs in A Minor (2001)


 * The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003)
 * As I Am (2007)
 * The Element of Freedom (2009)

Tours
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-style:italic;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> List of Alicia Keys tours