Alicia Keys is this generation’s Stevie Wonder. She brought us lyrics, melody and thought provoking music. The body of work she has created will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Here are her top 10 songs.
10. Never Felt This Way– This song is off her 2001 debut, Songs in A Minor. I didn’t select the song at first because it is a reinterpretation of a Brian McKnight classic. But there was no way I could deny that she in fact sang the song better than Brian McKnight! Alicia’s version is really just an interlude. But in 1-2 minutes she managed to paint a picture about a love that was so intense and overwhelming, you were let hanging on every word. Painfully good.
9. I Need You-” Up needs down, life needs death and no needs yes,yes,yes”. I love this song because you can not argue with her reasoning. She is telling her lover that no two things go together better than her and him.
8. Lesson Learned- Strictly an “album cut” off of 2007’s As I Am. This is a beautifully written song about life and self-discovery. Yes, we all get burned but we shouldn’t be derailed by the hardships. We must embrace those lessons and apply them to the next phase of life. I often turn to this song to help me see past my adversities and find my strength. If you’re ever having a bad day this will get you through it.
7. A Woman’s Worth- This song should be handed out as soon as a baby girl is born. So many women do not know their worth and will allow a man to treat them poorly. She’s basically telling this man that she’s not doing cartwheels over how he’s treating her, BECAUSE HE SHOULD BE DOING IT! Can we say brilliant? So ladies press play and rediscover that you’re worth it.
6. Unbreakable- From the 2005 “MTV-Unplugged” album, Ms. Keys rocked the house with this one. I remember watching the special and I couldn’t wait to download this song. It was fun, it was young and vintage Alicia Keys. She flipped an Eddie Kendricks beat and sang an ode to a relationship so dynamic that it is “unbreakable”. I loved the fact that she gave a shout-out to many notable African-American couples real and fictitious( Florida and James Evan). This is a hot one.
5. If I Ain’t Got You-I saw Alicia perform this song on the Diary tour and the performance was special. This song is the reason the piano was invented. The piano chords are simple but they carry the message of the song. A person having a lot of “stuff” is not important. There is no possession that can fill your heart or touch your spirit. Possessions are not going to love you back. Instead of trying to buy me, just love me.
4. Diary-This is my favorite song off The Diary of Alicia Keys. I love the way she rides the beat with her vocals and just delivers so smoothly. I think this song can apply to all types of relationships. There is comfort to be found knowing that your deepest, most personal thoughts are safe when shared. Whenever I hear this song I think of my best friends and how I can say anything and not fear being gossiped about or judged.
3. No One– In 2007, Keys announced she was back with No One. This song was unlike her previous first singles that where slower and more soulful. This time around she decided to make us groove. No One is the celebration of magnificently stable/functioning relationship. When the music starts you get a feel-good sensation and you’re immediately uplifted. Alicia sings of a relationship so powerful that she literally is shouting at the top of her lungs. I guess when you have something that good, you want to share it with world. I know nothing about that but I can’t wait to find out. This song gets a “sang heifer”.
2. You Don’t Know My Name– Ms. Keys hooked up with the King of the Soul Sample-Mr. Kanye West and made magic. She had me at “baby,baby,baby”. On this track, she sings about a man that she is infatuated with but he doesn’t even know she exists. Who hasn’t liked someone from a far? And you were just waiting to be noticed? I’m guilty and it does feel like “Ooooooooooooh”. You feel for her in the song and you want to tell the guy, “Hey, I know somebody who likes you”. The other great thing about this song is the old-school breakdown! Alicia takes a minute or two and has a conversation in the middle of the song. And were you not excited when she got the date? Instant Classic.
1. Fallin’- ” I keep on fallin’. Were the first words of the first single off Alicia Key’s first album. Those four words let me know that it was over. She was about to change the game. This was the perfect first single for a new artist. I don’t think there has ever been a song that garnered the amount of attention as Fallin’. The song was a street symphony that expressed pain, love, regret and pleasure. This was something everyone woman could relate to-loving the wrong man. I love how she has a desperation in her voice and at the end you are left wondering. This song gets a G.O.A.T. nomination.
