Today’s random track appeared on Alicia Keys’ 2001 debut album Songs in A Minor.
Buoyed by singles ‘Fallin’,’ ‘A Woman’s Worth’ and ‘How Come You Don’t Call Me,’ the album was a huge hit, eventually going 7X platinum and earning five Grammys for Keys, including Best New Artist.
‘The Life’ is rather simplistic, lyrically (“when it rains it pours,” indeed) but the the music has a nice Sade-esque groove.
I never really got into Alicia Keys when she was making a big splash in the 2000’s. While I appreciated her singer-songwriter chops and her use of classical piano in an modern soul setting, ultimately she just wasn’t making the kind of music I like. R&B has always been one of my blind spots.
I’ve come to appreciate Keys more in recent years thanks to her charming work as host of the Grammys. She is so earnest, positive and full of love that it’s hard to remain cynical in the face of her infectious brightness.
Coronavirus has disrupted every industry, and the music business is no exception. High profile releases by such artists as Dixie Chicks, Lady Gaga and Haim have been delayed, and concerts are pretty much a thing of the past (when will you feel safe sharing close quarters with 20,000 fellow fans?).
But our new normal hasn’t stopped some artists from releasing music, and over the next two weeks I’ll feature songs by ten of them, from new names to grizzled veterans.
I’ve featured only one other Alicia Keys song on the blog so far and that was during a week in which I posted songs with no commentary. Sitting here wondering what to write about this one, I can see why that’s the case.
I simply don’t have much to say about the 30-year-old R&B sensation who was raised in Hell’s Kitchen and went on to study classical piano before recording her multiple Grammy-winning first album.
You could make a movie about that backstory, but I can barely tap out a blog post. Why is that?
Meet Me In Montauk 