Alicia Keys Biggest hits
The benefits of writing and playing the instruments
Alicia Keys’ writing and instrumental talent has benefitted her. It makes her songs sound better, because she knows what sounds she wants to make. When you play an instrument, melodies and lyrics are more structured.
- Fallin’ (2001) – The song was written when she was 18 years old. The piano inspiration came from James Brown’s 1966 “It’s a Man’s World.” The song won 3 Grammy awards. The song has a unique tone to it: vocals, lyrics, piano — everything was merging together, and that’s what made the song special. During the early 2000s, R&B singers were not playing instruments. That gave her a boost.
- If I Ain’t Got You (2003) – Alicia wrote this song after the passing of Aaliyah in 2001. The 9/11 attack that happened made her realize how, when the people close to you are dying, money can’t buy them back. The song is special; anyone could relate to a song like this. Alicia Keys’ music is always relatable.
- No One (2007) – Alicia Keys and her producer Kerry “Krucial” Brothers built the song layer by layer. It was one of the best-selling digital singles of all time.
- You Don’t Know My Name (2007) – The song is produced by Kanye West. The song samples The Main Ingredient’s 1974 song “Let Me Prove My Love to You.”
- Girl on Fire (2012) – This song is an anthem. She was pregnant with her second son. Going into motherhood was different; she wasn’t that girl in her early 20s anymore. The song samples Billy Squier’s 1981 “The Big Beat.”
Keys Biggest hits
- Karma (2003) – Alicia Keys has a love for classical music, and she gets inspiration from that.
- Unthinkable (2010) – The song is co-written by Drake. It was 12 weeks at number 1 on the Billboard chart.
- A Woman’s Worth (2001) – Alicia Keys wrote this song as a reminder to men on how to treat their partners. Treating a woman badly will result in him losing her. This song took her seriously in the music industry. It was from her album Songs in A Minor. It sold 10 million copies worldwide.
- Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart (2009) – The song is inspired by the production of Prince and Whitney Houston. 1980s production was the base. The 1980s production was high quality, because of the quality of music they had to make if they wanted to be famous.
Early 2000’s
- “Diary” (feat. Tony! Toni! Toné!) (2003) – Alicia got Tony! Toni! Toné! to feature on the song. The song became a club favorite because of the remix with Sean Paul.
- Successful Songs
- Like You’ll Never See Me Again (2007) – The song is about living in the moment with your partner, because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Love songs are Alicia Keys’ bread and butter.
- Superwoman (2007) – This song is dedicated to women who are doing it all, whether they are working or stay-at-home moms. Women play a vital role in society. The music video features women like Jada Pinkett Smith, Tia Mowry, and Queen Latifah.
- Underdog (2020) – The song is co-written by Ed Sheeran. This song is dedicated to single mothers, the working class, and people trying to put food on the table. People like this are not always recognized, and are looked down upon by people saying they do not work hard enough. Alicia Keys opens her live concerts with this song because of how positive the song is.
Becoming Alicia
Alicia keys biggest hits
- Doesn’t Mean Anything (2009) – This song is about achieving your dreams and your goals. It doesn’t mean anything if you haven’t met someone special to share your achievements with. You can have all the success in the world; however, if you don’t have family to lean back on when times get hard, you will feel alone.
- Empire State of Mind (2009) – Alicia Keys recorded the song when she was sick in bed. Jay-Z liked it and took the raw sound of her being sick. When you listen to the song, you can notice that she is sick. Both of them come from New York and have become successful. They are giving their flowers to their city, who made them who they are.
- Gangsta Lovin’ (feat. Eve) (2002) – The song was supposed to be featured with Ashanti; however, she turned it down. Eve ended up being featured instead. Hip hop and R&B are a good crossover, especially during the early 2000s.
R&B Music
Alicia keys biggest hits
- Put It in a Love Song (feat. Beyoncé) (2009) – The song was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The song was never released because the artists felt the editing didn’t meet the visual standards. Mathew Knowles talks about it more in this interview: “‘Why Were They Filming That Song In the Hood?’: Mathew Knowles Exposes the Chaos That Almost Put Beyoncé and Alicia Keys In Danger While Filming Video
- How Come You Don’t Call Me (2001) – It’s a piano cover, originally written and performed by Prince. Alicia Keys made twists to the song.
- Fire We Make (feat. Maxwell) – The music video was shot in New Orleans.
Alicia keys biggest hits
- Blended Family (feat. A$AP Rocky) (2016) – The song is about building a blended family with Swizz Beatz and his ex-wife. There was controversy when they got together, and this damaged Alicia Keys’ reputation. People felt she ruined a happy relationship, and for years people gave the side-eye to Alicia Keys when it comes to the way she got into a relationship with Swizz Beatz. However, now they are all getting along.
- My Boo (feat. Usher) (2004) – This is a nostalgic look back at someone in their teenage years being in a relationship. The song has become like a duet between the two of them. They are expressing themselves in a way that makes it seem real. People miss this sound of R&B because of how raw and real the vocals are.
- In Common (2016) – It has dancehall and Latin influence in the song. She has R&B influence in the song, too, and that works well for her. But some people change their sound in order to grow in their career, because they feel like they can give a variety of sounds to their supporters.
Making Music
Songwriter
- Show Me Love (feat. Miguel) (2019) – This was another commercially successful song.
- Unbreakable (2005) – This was recorded for MTV Unplugged. This track serves as a celebration of Black musical history. She name-dropped legends like Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and The Jackson 5. It was a radio song. It earned 2 Grammy nominations. Alicia Keys’ live material is still good enough for the Grammys.
- City of Gods (with Fivio Foreign and Kanye West) (2022) – It’s a New York drill anthem. It makes sense to feature someone like Alicia Keys, who became popular through “Empire State of Mind” with Jay-Z, giving homage to New York. The hook borrows from “Empire State of Mind.”
Reality
- Brand New Me (2012) – The song was co-written with Emeli Sandé. This song is about the old version of the song. Emeli Sandé sings and plays the piano as well; she is the perfect person for her to collaborate with. This is when Alicia Keys was making a change. She had on minimal makeup. This music video was about acceptance — the career of being a superstar. She consistently has to dress up and wear makeup in order to meet society’s expectations of what a star is supposed to look like, and she wants to change that. That is a bold statement to make, especially in a superficial field that she is in.
- Girlfriend (2001) – The song is an international song from Songs in A Minor. The song samples Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s hip-hop track “Brooklyn Zoo.” Hip hop and classical piano work well, and she knows how to mix piano and hip-hop beats together. Mariah Carey was always featured in hip-hop songs during the early 2000s. Hip hop was becoming extremely popular, and it was one of the hardest times to compete in. Alicia Keys was smart to take advantage of hip hop’s popularity during that time.
Alicia’s Career
- Another Way to Die (feat. Jack White) (2008) – This song was recorded as the official theme for the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. When making music for movies, you have to make sure that it fits well and the lyrics make sense. Alicia Keys is a respected songwriter in the music industry, who also has a good ear for music, and that’s why she was picked. This was the only duet in the James Bond franchise.
- Teenage Love Affair (2008) – This song has a 1970s Motown vibe to it. It has a young-adult feel drawn from the 1970s. People love music from the 1970s and 1980s; the music from that generation is classic.
- So Done (feat. Khalid) – It’s a relaxing song about a break from the expectations of society, toxicity, and living life on your own boundaries. In the music industry it can be difficult for things to go your way, because the people in power are the ones keeping your career going, and they can blacklist you from events and other things if you don’t listen. The music video has a school-prom culture; it focuses on empowering the youth. Khalid, at the time, was 22 years old. He was figuring out himself as a young man coming up, and he knew as he grew up he needed to set boundaries, because otherwise they would think he’s still the 19-year-old kid.
MTV Impact
- Lala (ft. Swae Lee) – The song officially premiered at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. MTV has been shut down when it comes to the music channel; however, there was once a time where it was very crucial, and now TikTok and YouTube have replaced it. MTV has created so many successful musicians, and maybe they might be able to rebrand and bring something new to this generation. However, it’s hard when everyone is on their phone and not watching cable television as much.
- Best of Me (2021) – The song is a love letter to her husband, Swizz Beatz. Her husband is also in the music business; he is a producer. Both are famous, and they can relate to one another because they are doing the same career. Celebrity relationships break up because of a lack of time with one another; however, they know their schedule is hectic, and when things get tough in their job, they can lean on one another.
- Place to Be (2003) – This song is about the pressures of fame and finding peace somewhere when your career gets to be too much. Alicia Keys went from a normal person to becoming famous, and she had to get used to her newfound fame, and that’s not easy to do.
- Jane Doe (2001) – The song is co-written by Kandi Burruss.
Fame
- Pawn It All (2016) – The song is about not giving up and not selling your soul, or doing things because of money, fame, or success. When becoming famous, it’s very easy to get caught up on success and fame and forget about the important things, especially during that time she was becoming famous. Making yourself look like you had money was very important, because then people would keep up with you more.
- Tears Always Win (2013) – Co-written by Bruno Mars. Bruno Mars had hit songs like “Just the Way You Are.” He was rising — a good songwriter who knows how to put melodies together.
- Time Machine (2019) – The music video was filmed roller skating in Los Angeles. Los Angeles has the vibe and the scenery; music videos are always good, because it brings the essence.
- Wreckless Love (2007) – This is more of a rock song. Rock music makes you bring your raw emotion. Instruments can be very good.
- Lifeline (2023) – It was written and produced for the film The Color Purple.
Success
- Good Job (2020) – It was a tribute to workers and teachers. During the pandemic it was a hard time for people; there were people who lost their jobs. Hospital staff were risking themselves working for people who had COVID-19. So she just wanted them to feel appreciated.
- Love Looks Better (2020) – It was co-written by Ryan Tedder. The song was launched in partnership with the NFL. Ryan is part of the group OneRepublic.
- Wait Till You See My Smile (2009) – The song was written during the sessions for The Element of Freedom. The song is about going through hard times, looking forward to better days.
- It’s On Again (ft. Kendrick Lamar) (2014) – The song was recorded for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 soundtrack.
- Perfect Way to Die – This song was written during the deaths of Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. It talks about systemic racism and police violence.
- We Are Here (2014) – This song is a justice anthem. Alicia wanted to raise awareness about gun control, community reform, and equality. She used the platform to talk about what is going on in the world. Not everyone would want to do that. The song raised millions of dollars for charity worldwide. Celebrities have the power to talk about things that are affecting the world; it’s interesting the lives that they could change.
- Not Even the King (2014) – The song is co-written by Emeli Sandé. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Song.
- 28 Thousand Days (2015) – It’s a motivational anthem around the concept of how many days we have on earth. She tells her listeners not to waste their time.
