Queen Keys

Growing up I was blessed to be exposed to a lot of different music. I had reggae at pool parties, rap in my headphones, gospel in car rides with my dad and R&B/pop when I was around my older sister. I know there are so many women who impacted the music industry, each deserving of a shout out. When I saw this contest in my mind there was no other person to write about besides Alicia Keys. With 15 grammys under her belt she has earned a highlight whenever female artists are brought up.

Alicia Keys was not a stranger to the spotlight having appeared on The Cosby Show as a child. She also was familiar with the piano by age 7 as well as composing her own music by 14. Another interesting fact is that she was a valedictorian, this is inspiring because not only is she talented but she is also smart. I think that taking school seriously is not something you see a lot with mainstream artists, and goes to show that anything she puts her mind to she does with efficiency. However when she was accepted into college she was also offered a record deal, she chose her passion over a college education. I would say she made the right choice considering her success.

I can remember the first time I heard one of her songs back in 2001. Her hit ‘Fallin’ played over the radio and fall for her is exactly what I did. I enjoyed the build up of the song, the way she sang the lyrics was something new and invigorating. Her lyrics were also so simple and true, I could relate them to my parents' love. They were clearly in love but there were also the moments of “pain” when they disagreed or when my mom would take too long and my dad would be impatiently waiting and muttering in the car. This song definitely made me fall in love with Alicia Keys.

Her first album was a homerun, debuting at the number one spot on the billboard 200. This album also sold 12 million copies worldwide. This album also earned her five grammys in one night being the second solo female artist to do so. After dropping this album the name Alicia Keys was known internationally, making her the favorite new artist of 2001. Funny enough she contemplated using the stage name Alicia Wild or Wilde, it was her mother who convinced her to keep thinking. I think the name Alicia Keys was more fitting since she incorporates the piano in a majority of her songs. Once she even played two pianos at the same time!

With such a successful debut album her second album had big shoes to fill. Although her second album only sold eight million copies worldwide, it sold over 600,000 copies in the first week. This made Alicia Keys have the most sold copies in the first week by a female artist. This goes to show that everyone was waiting to hear what she composed. This rang true for, ten year old me, who loved the sounds of ‘You don’t know my name’ and ‘Diary’. Thinking back I'm not sure if I understood the lyrics of ‘You don’t know my name’, but the title was relatable, and watching the music video she was stunning. The song ‘Diary’ taught me to keep secrets. Hearing her powerful singing added power to the words “ your secrets are safe with me-ee”. Again I am not the only one who felt this way, her second album ‘The Diary Of Alicia Keys’ won three grammys in 2005.

Alicia Keys dropped albums every two years for eight years. Each album received love from fans. Each album produced a number one hit. She was living up to expectations. Among the album drops she also did songs with other artists. One hit was ‘My Boo’ with long time friend Usher. She dropped more albums in 2012, 2013, 2016 and most recently 2020. A trend with all of Alicia Keys work is that she likes to empower people, usually females. She also writes about love, the good and the bad with songs like ‘If I ain't got you’ and ‘ Try sleeping with a broken heart’. Alica Keys’ ‘If I ain’t got you’ hit stayed on the billboard hot R&B/Hip-Hop for over a year, making her the first female artist to achieve that.

I could write paragraphs about Alicia’s musical accomplishments, but I think she is so much more than just an artist. Besides a career in music Alica has also played in movies and T.V shows. Her role in the film ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ required her to learn how to play the cello, she did so in 4 weeks. This role also earned her a nomination for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture’. She was also on a couple seasons of the show ‘The Voice’ as one of the judges.

Alicia Keys has made a huge impact on the world, mostly through her music. She often uses her music as a voice to speak out against negativity. An example would be her performance of ‘ Someday We Will All Be Free’ after the tragedy of September 11th. If that wasn’t enough she also performed to raise money for the victims of hurricane Katrina. Just to add some icing on the cake, Alicia is also a co-founder of a non-profit called ‘Keep a Child Alive’, which focuses on providing medicine to Africa for HIV and AIDS.

Alicia always likes to empower women. To me this is a beautiful thing! One way she has done this (besides in her music) is by not wearing any makeup. She believes that it hides a woman’s true beauty. I believe that hearing this resonated so much that I appreciate women who don’t wear makeup. My girlfriend is beautiful and she also does not wear makeup.

So the next time you’re in the mood for some light listening I hope you remember my recommendation for black female artist. I’m sure there are plenty of other black female artists worth ranting about, but there is only one Alicia Keys. That girl is on fire and no one, no one else is worth falling for.