This one doesn’t get the love it deserves but it’s quietly home to some of Alicia’s best work.įorgotten favorites: “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down,” “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart,” “That’s How Strong My Love Is”Įdd said: Alicia’s debut may have been heralded as an instant classic, but if you ask me, that destiny was not fulfilled until two years later. Maybe it’s because she sticks to her comfort zone – instead of stretching herself too thin chasing Top 40 success, she leans on piano ballads and midtempo hip-hop numbers. Not the all-time classic it’s often called, but much better than I remembered.įorgotten favorites: “Girlfriend,” “Goodbye,” “Why Do I Feel So Sad”Įdd said: If we’ve learned anything from this ranking is that while Alicia is incredibly talented, she’s often had a tough time making consistent releases, especially in recent years. Songs in A Minor does have a tendency to meander (especially on the second half) but it’s a very promising debut nonetheless. In 2019 though, I respect the artistry of this one a bit more. At the time, I appreciated aspects of it but didn’t think it was NEARLY the cultural touchstone critics claimed. I certainly get why – Alicia was presented as an R&B prodigy, exhibiting maturity and musical instincts well beyond her years. If you were around in 2001, this was hyped as the best album in the history of albums. It’s a solid, though somewhat unspectacular, effort.įorgotten favorites: “Lesson Learned,” “Teenage Love Affair,” “Tell You Something (Nana’s Reprise)”Įdd said: I have a complicated relationship with this album. The sound is a bit more pop-ish and the writing a bit more cliched than previous efforts (slight cracks here that would wind up being bigger issues in later releases) but there’s more than enough consistency to keep the project afloat. But it’s not a bad project – far from it, in fact. I never wanna hear “No One” or “Superwoman” ever again, thank you very much. As an overall project, it’s not one I revisit often – mostly likely due to the singles being PLAYED TO DEATH in 2007/2008. Even the background singers sound comatose half the time! Like Girl on Fire, this isn’t a BAD album per se, there’s just barely anything worth revisiting.įorgotten favorites: “She Don’t Really Care_1 Luv,” “Kill Your Mama,” “Blended Family (What You Do For Love)”Įdd said: As I Am is a weird one for me.
The first half of the album starts promising but Alicia quickly falls back into old habits – cookie-cutter pop tracks and dull writing. You’ll find yourself enjoying the songs in the moment, but once you’re hit with the question, “hey, what are the best songs from this album?” the only answer you’ll have is “ummm, the Maxwell joint, I guess?” Girl on Fire isn’t offensively bad, just woefully unremarkable.įorgotten favorites: “Fire We Make,” “Brand New Me,” “Tears Always Win”Įdd said: Here is an ambitious project with good intentions but, much like other latter-day A-Keys albums, struggles to find itself about halfway through. Alicia tried experimenting with different genres – rock, electro, hip-hop, but for some reason, barely anything on Girl on Fire sticks. Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5Įdd said: Unfortunately for our girl Alicia, this was the album where things got a little rough. And as usual, I’m skipping compilations, greatest hits and her Unplugged album (which is pretty decent, actually). Let’s look back at Alicia’s discography, ranking her LPs from bottom to top. Album quality, consistency, and impact on the genre are the determining factors here. Regardless, you can’t take anything away from her legacy, one that started with just a girl and a piano reshaping the sound of R&B. But recent years haven’t been as fruitful – between her very sporadic releases and an inability to evolve her sound, we’re just here like Unquestionably, she was R&B’s biggest forces a decade prior. Sadly, those three words have defined much of her career this past decade. It’s been quite the newsworthy week for Alicia Keys.įirst, it was announced that she will again host the Grammys.
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