Songs In A Minor



Songs in A Minor is the debut studio album by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released in the United States on June 5, 2001 by J Records. After graduating from high school, Keys signed with Columbia Records to begin her music career. She recorded an album in 1998 under the la yasbel, which they rejected. Her contract subsequently ended with Columbia after a dispute with the label, and Keys later signed with Clive Davis. An accomplished, classically-trained pianist, Keys wrote, arranged and produced a majority of the tracks on the album. Contrary to its title, the album contains only one song, "Jane Doe", in the key of A minor.

Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who noted her ability to catch an old-school jazz sound and mix it with R&B and soul melodies. Keys was compared by critics to such artists as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Billie Holiday, Prince and Lauryn Hill. The album earned Keys several awards and accolades, including five Grammy Awards at the 44th Grammy Awards. Songs in A Minor debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 236,000 copies in its first week. It has sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States and twelve million copies worldwide.Rolling Stone magazine named Songs in A Minor the second best album of 2001, while ranking it number 95 on its list of the best albums of the 2000s decade.

Background and Recording
After graduating from the Professional Performing Arts School, Keys was accepted to Columbia University. She dropped out after four weeks to pursue her music career.[1] She signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def label. Keys co-wrote and recorded a song entitled "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black. She also contributed to the So So Def Christmas recordings.[2] Keys began writing, producing and recording the album in 1998.[3] She completed it that same year, but it was rejected by Columbia Records. Keys explained that the producers she worked with would tell her to "just get in the booth and sing", which frustrated her.[4] Her record contract with Columbia ended after a dispute with the label. Keys then performed forClive Davis, who sensed a "special, unique" artist; he bought Keys contract from Columbia and signed her to Arista Records, which later disbanded.[2] [5] [6]

Following Davis to his newly formed J Records label, Keys rented an apartment and struggled to create an album. She began writing the song "Troubles" and came to a realization: "That's when the album started comin' together. Finally, I knew how to structure my feelings into something that made sense, something that can translate to people. That was a changing point. My confidence was up, way up."[7] Keys learned how to produce by asking questions to the producers and engineers; she wrote, arranged and produced a majority of the album.[4] [8] She recorded the songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror", which were featured on the soundtracks to the films Shaft(2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), respectively.[9] [10] One of the final songs Keys recorded was "Fallin'".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cover_story_6-1" style="line-height:1em;">[7] A total of 32 songs were recorded for the album.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimpel_10-0" style="line-height:1em;">[11] Originally titled Soul Stories in A Minor, the title of the album was changed over concerns that it would limit exposure only to black radio stations.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rebel_3-2" style="line-height:1em;">[4]

Composition
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys incorporates classical piano with <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> R&B<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;"> soul<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;"> jazz<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;">into the music of Songs in A Minor<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[2] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rebel_3-3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[4] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[13] <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;">With influences of classical piano, classic soul and East Coast hip hop<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-3" 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;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Keys described the album as a "fusion of my classical training, meshed with what I grew up listening to [...] things I've been exposed to and drawn from and my life experiences". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-hot_product_11-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[12] <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;">Jane Stevenson of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam! Jam!]<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;">described the music as "old-school urban sounds and attitude set against a backdrop of classical piano and sweet, warm vocals". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Jam.21_13-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[14] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> USA Today<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;padding-left:0.1em;">' <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">s Steve Jones wrote that Keys "taps into the blues, soul, jazz and even classical music to propel haunting melodies and hard-driving funk". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-USA_Today_14-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[15] <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;">John Mulvey of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahoo!_Music Yahoo! Music]<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;">called the album "a gorgeous and ambitious melding of classic soul structures and values to hyper-modern production technique". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Yahoo.21_15-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[16]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">The album's opening track, "Piano & I", begins with a rendition of Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, combined with a hip hopbeat.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="line-height:1em;">[17] The introduction is followed by "Girlfriend", which was produced by Jermaine Dupri.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-4" style="line-height:1em;">[2] Commended for its "crisp production",<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Slant_Magazine_17-0" style="line-height:1em;">[18] the song samples Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Brooklyn Zoo".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-5" style="line-height:1em;">[2] Keys' cover of Prince's 1982 ballad "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" (retitled "How Come You Don't Call Me") was inspired by a long-term relationship with a partner.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-6" style="line-height:1em;">[2] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" style="line-height:1em;">[19] The music critic for PopMattersfelt that the song was credible, but fell short from the original and Stephanie Mills's 1980s cover.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-7" style="line-height:1em;">[2] "Fallin'", the gospel-driven lead single and often considered Keys's signature song,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Entertainment_Weekly_19-0" style="line-height:1em;">[20] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" style="line-height:1em;">[21] contains a sample of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-8" style="line-height:1em;">[2] The song earned Keys comparisons to Aretha Franklin.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NZ_Herald_21-0" style="line-height:1em;">[22]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">"A Woman's Worth", the second single released from the album, is a "gospel-tinged"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ward_NME_22-0" style="line-height:1em;">[23] song that recommends to men to show respect to their female partner.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-iAfrica_23-0" style="line-height:1em;">[24] "Jane Doe" is a funk-driven song, with backing vocals provided by Kandi Burruss.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-9" style="line-height:1em;">[2] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-iAfrica_23-1" style="line-height:1em;">[24] "The Life", which elicits Curtis Mayfield's "Gimmie Your Love", describes Keys's "philosophy of life and struggle".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-10" style="line-height:1em;">[2] The song was compared to the work of the English band Sade.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ward_NME_22-1" style="line-height:1em;">[23] "Mr. Man" contains elements Latin American music<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ward_NME_22-2" style="line-height:1em;">[23] and was described as a "sexy and soulful duet", in which Jimmy Cozier "adds his spice".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-iAfrica_23-2" style="line-height:1em;">[24] The album ends with the hidden track "Lovin' U", which Christian Ward of NMEcompared to works of the musical group The Supremes.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ward_NME_22-3" style="line-height:1em;">[23

Release And Promotion
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">In advance of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Songs in A Minor<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, " Girlfriend<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">" was released to <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> urban radio<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;">in early 2001 to "introduce" Keys. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-11" 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;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">In order to promote her, music executive <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Clive Davis<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;">booked Keys to <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The Tonight Show<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. Afterward, he sent the music video of the first single, " Fallin'<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", to MTV; "half the women had tears down their face" when the video finished playing. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimpel_10-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[11] <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;">"Fallin'" peaked at number one on the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Billboard Hot 100<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;"> Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs<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;">charts, where the song remained atop the charts for six and four weeks, respectively. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-tour_24-0" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[25] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[26] <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;">It became the most played song in the United States at the time and was certified <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> gold<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;">by the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Recording Industry Association of America<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[27] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[28] <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;">The album's second single, " A Woman's Worth<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">", peaked at number three on the <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Billboard<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;">Hot 100. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[29] <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;">The third single, " How Come You Don't Call Me<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">" peaked at number 59 on the same chart, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[30] <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 the fourth single, "Girlfriend", peaked at number 82 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[31]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Davis wrote a letter to Oprah Winfrey, asking her to allow Keys, along with Jill Scott and India.Arie, to perform on her show.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimpel_10-2" style="line-height:1em;">[11] The group of singers performed on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where Keys "wowed" the audience.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Jet_31-0" style="line-height:1em;">[32] This led to the album's pre-orders to double that night.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rebel_3-4" style="line-height:1em;">[4] From August to October 2001, Keys toured alongside recording artist Maxwell in promotion of the album.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32" style="line-height:1em;">[33] Soon after, she embarked on her Songs in A Minor Tour.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-tour_24-1" style="line-height:1em;">[25]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">On June 28, 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_34-1" style="line-height:1em;">[35] Both editions will feature previously unreleased material and a documentary chronicling the making of the original album. On June 26, 2011, at the BET Awards Keys performed a medley of songs which included "Typewriter", "A Woman's Worth" with Bruno Mars and "Maybach Music" with Rick Ross and "Fallin'". On June 28, 2011, Keys performed "Fallin'", "Butterflyz" and "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" on Good Morning America.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="line-height:1em;">[36] BET aired "The Story So Far... Alicia Keys" special highlighting Alicia's 10 year career through her BET moments on June 28, 2011. On June 30, Keys performed Songs in A Minor in its entirety and telling stories of its recording in a show entitled "Piano & I: A One Night Only Event With Alicia Keys" at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MTV10th_34-2" style="line-height:1em;">[35]

Critical response
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">Upon its release, <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Songs in A Minor<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;">received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who praised Keys for her classicist-influenced sound and musical maturity. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Jam.21_13-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[14] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NZ_Herald_21-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[22] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Allmusic_37-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[38] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-LA_Times_39-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[40] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rolling_Stone_42-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[43] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Washington_Post_43-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[44] <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;">At <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Metacritic<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it received an <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> average<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;">score of 78, based on 10 reviews. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MC_36-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[37] <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' sound was compared to other soul musicians, including <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Aretha Franklin<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">, Stevie Wonder<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;"> Billie Holiday<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;"> Laura Nyro<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;"> Jill Scott<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;"> Prince<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;"> Lauryn Hill<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Allmusic_37-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[38] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rolling_Stone_42-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[43] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Washington_Post_43-2" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[44] <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;">Sam Faulkner of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> NME<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;">described the balance between <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> contemporary music<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;"> retrospective<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;">as "an act of pure genius". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NME_40-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[41] <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;">Steve Jones of <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> USA Today<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;">gave the album three out of four stars and praised Keys' musicianship, stating "Keys already has a musical, artistic and thematic maturity that many more experienced artists never achieve". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-USA_Today_14-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[15] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The Washington Post<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;padding-left:0.1em;">' <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">s Richard Harrington wrote favorably of Keys' musical influences on the album and expressed that she has "vocal maturity and writing instincts beyond her years". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Washington_Post_43-3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[44] PopMatters<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;">critic <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Mark Anthony Neal<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;">praised Keys' performance on the album and called it "a distinct and oft-times brilliant debut from an artist who clearly has a fine sense of her creative talents". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopMatters_1-13" 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;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">In his consumer guide column for <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;"> Robert Christgau<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">gave <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Songs in A Minor<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;">an A– rating, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Christgau_38-1" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[39] <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;">indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction. Anyone open to its aesthetic will enjoy more than half its tracks". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:1em;">[45]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">Keys' vocal performance was lauded;<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Jam.21_13-2" style="line-height:1em;">[14] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Allmusic_37-3" style="line-height:1em;">[38] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NME_40-2" style="line-height:1em;">[41] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine declared that Keys' displayed a "powerful range, proving she can belt along with the best of them".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Slant_Magazine_17-2" style="line-height:1em;">[18] However, some also found her lyrics to be sub-par to her singing and musical ability.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Allmusic_37-4" style="line-height:1em;">[38] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rolling_Stone_42-3" style="line-height:1em;">[43] The New Zealand Herald ' s Russell Baillie stated that Keys "might indicate abundant talent aligned to neatly reverential vintage soul style", but expressed that the songs "don't add up to anything particularly memorable".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NZ_Herald_21-2" style="line-height:1em;">[22] Entertainment Weekly ' s Beth Johnson called the second half of the album slacked with "sad sack teen themes", but called it a promising album.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Entertainment_Weekly_19-2" style="line-height:1em;">[20] Rolling Stone ' s Barry Walters perceived her singing as more mature than her songwriting, but commended Keys for her "commanding presence" on the album.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rolling_Stone_42-4" style="line-height:1em;">[43] Los Angeles Times writer Robert Hilburn gave the album three out of four stars and wrote that it "makes a convincing case that's she's going far—in both a commercial and creative sense".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-LA_Times_39-2" style="line-height:1em;">[40] In a retrospective review, Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewineperceived the album's music as "rich enough to compensate for some thinness in the writing... which is a testament to Keys' skills as a musician", while calling it "a startling assured, successful debut that deserved its immediate acclaim and is already aging nicely".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Allmusic_37-5" style="line-height:1em;">[38] Barry Walters wrote in a later article for Rolling Stone, "the album has aged well – excepting a drum-machine beat or two, it feels timeless."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-RSreissue_45-0" style="line-height:1em;">[46]

Commercial performance
Songs in A Minor<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> chart, selling 236,000 copies in its first week. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[47] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Through word of mouth<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and promotion, the album sold 450,000 copies in its second week and remained atop the chart for three non-consecutive weeks. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cover_story_6-3" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[7] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[48] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The album became one of the bestselling albums of 2001. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[49] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> It sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States, <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[50] <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;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[51] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-RIAA_51-0" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[52] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Songs in A Minor<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> sold over 12 million copies worldwide. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52" 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;"> Billboard<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> magazine ranked the album thirty-second in the decade-end recap of the most successful albums of the 2000s, while placing it twelfth in the R&B field. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[54] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[55] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The RIAA lists it as one of the Best Selling Albums of All Time. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[56]

Accolades
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 1999 Grammy Awards<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[57] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The album also won a NAACP Image Award<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> for " Outstanding Album<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[58] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> Keys was also named Best New Artist at the 2002 World Music Awards<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[59] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> "Fallin'" was ranked at number 37 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> in 2003 <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[60] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> and was ranked the 413th greatest song of all time by Blender<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> magazine. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[61] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> The album was ranked number two on the Rolling Stone<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">magazine's Top 10 of 2001, number 18 on The Village Voice'<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">s 2001 Pazz & Jop<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> list, number 27 on Mojo<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> magazine's Best 40 Albums of 2001 and was inducted to Q<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> magazine's 100 Greatest Albums Ever. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[62] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[63] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> In 2009, Rolling Stone<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.200000762939453px;"> named it the 95th greatest album of the past decade, while "Fallin'" ranked at number 62 on the magazine's "100 Best Songs of the Decade" list. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[64] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;">[65]

Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor
<p style="line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">An album of remixes and live songs, Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor (issued in some countries as Songs in A Minor: Remixed & Unplugged), was released on October 22, 2002 by J Records. The album's live portion was edited from a performance recorded on August 10, 2002 at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.

10th Anniversary Edition
10th Anniversary Edition is a 10th anniversary special edition reissue of the Alicia Keys album Songs in A Minor. Bonus songs include new songs from the era, alternate versions, live versions and more, hand-picked by Alicia, DVD includes a brand-new documentary on the making of album, and music videos. For the first time, a vinyl version of the original album will also be made available.