Gail Mitchell, a senior editor at Billboard covering R&B and hip-hop, recently profiled Keys for the magazine. Her impressive musicianship makes her the rare pop star hipsters can feel alright about liking. It's that skill that really separates her from the pack, thus making her the R&B alternative to other piano-playing female singer-songwriters like Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor and Norah Jones. A longtime fan of Chopin, her last name is ever so appropriate. In addition, there's her skill at the piano. She can fit into any aspect of the genre - both old and new. She has the sort of urban-bohemian neo-soul vibe of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, while the next moment she can bring forth an edgier New Jack swing. For one thing, she fits into nearly every subsection of R&B. With the help of Kanye West's dynamic Motown-flavored production, she created her own old-fashioned classic with "You Don't Know My Name." The track's vintage vibe was purely cemented by the "oohs" and "ahhs" of a background choir that included John Legend among others, and by Keys' spoken-word bridge.Īlso on that record was "If I Ain't Got You," a stunner of a ballad on which Keys' sound and vocal inflection recalled another one of Davis' famous proteges: Whitney Houston.įrom record to record, Keys has firmly maintained her audience unlike anybody else. In 2003, "The Diary of Alicia Keys" showed her depth even more. It was the kind of song R&B radio doesn't really produce anymore.Įlsewhere on her debut, she proved she could make Prince's "How Come You Don't Call Me" sound like something fresh and new, while adding her own dose of gospelesque inflection and rhythmic piano work, and on "Rock Wit You," she was able to effectively groove along to a very "Shaft"-like orchestral arrangement provided by Isaac Hayes. It was the kind of song you'd expect to hear blasting equally from summertime pool parties and from passing minivans. Co-produced by Keys and Jermaine Dupri, the track recalled the energy of Michael Jackson in his prime. "Songs in A Minor" also contained "Girlfriend," a rough and rugged hip-hop jam built around an Ol' Dirty Bastard sample. Her hit song "Fallin'" became not only her signature, but a modern R&B standard. She was Clive Davis' first real protege on his label J Records after he left Arista, when out of the blue she debuted at No. From the start, Keys set the bar quite high.