American R&B singer Alicia Keys has released a new album entitled Alicia. The themes are love, heartbreak, life (including during COVID-19).
The music is R&B/Soul. However, Alicia Keys says her album is “genreless,” a unique way to describe it but makes it inclusive. The instruments heard are the piano, the bass drums, and the acoustic guitar give it a fantastic mix of musical flavours. The beat of the songs is rhythmic and catchy with incredible freeform compositions. The album’s vibe reminds me of 90s music such as the works of Coolio’s Gangster’s Paradise and P.Diddy’s I’ll Be Missing You. There’s a combination of classic and modern R&B sounds.
Alicia Keys’ voice is soulful, as well as reassuring at times. She sings from the heart, especially when performing the songs focusing on socio-political issues. Her vocal range was impressive throughout the album.
The lyrics cover a wide range of subjects, from current socio-political issues to relationships (love or heartbreak). The raw emotions make the songs authentic and reach people’s hearts on a deep level. The song The Perfect Way to Die is an example of the current socio-political situation. The words are so powerful and expressive. The tune Good Job is a lovely tribute to frontline workers, especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The song Authors of Forever is a heartfelt homage to 7 billion people on earth who each have a story to tell and give a message of hope and peace. She also covers the topics of relationships (the romance and the heartbreak) with authenticity and depth. Wasted Energy is an example of a relationship ending because one party messed up badly. The same thing goes for the song Me x 7. Love Looks Better has a beautiful and positive message behind it about inclusivity. Alicia Keys’ songs are full of insight and poetry through well-written lyrics.
My favourite songs are Good Job, Authors of Forever, You Save Me (featuring Snoh Aalegra), and Love Looks Better.
Side Note:
Wasted Energy & Me x 7 have coarse language that may be offensive to some listeners.
Listener Discretion is Advised
