"ALICIA" Review
  • Lyrics
  • Melodies
  • Themes
  • Overall Catchiness
5

Summary

“ALICIA” is an album for not only comfort but also motivation with a soft sound that will leave you feeling better about the future. She is able to make songs with a great overall theme in her lyrics that are catchy but also made in a musically interesting way.

The eighth studio album, “ALICA,” from singer and songwriter Alicia Keys has proven her amazing ability to engage her audience. The self-named album came out on September 18 to help her fans during these tough and uncertain times. Although the name of the album is the same as her own name, many of the identities she presents clash with one another. This combination of the clashing of identities and the current hardships make the album relevant to the listeners. Keys is able to beautifully display to her audience overcoming hardships and show confidence from those challenges. The album had purposeful lyrics, good overall flow and exciting tunes. 

The album is mainly produced by Keys and was originally going to be released on March 20, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the release date was pushed back along with her 2021 tour. The album takes place in the genre of contemporary R&B, which is Keys’ main genre of exploration.  Keys is able to use different music genres and blend them into the soft but captivating sound that she is known for.

The album features a recording artist from Tanzania, Diamond Platnumz, on the song, “Wasted Energy”; Electronica singer-songwriter Sampha on the song, “3 Hour Drive”; rapper Tierra Whack on “Me x 7”; fellow R&B artist Miguel; R&B and pop singer Khalid on “So Done”; singer Snoh Aalegra on “You Save Me”; singer-songwriter Jill Scott on “Jill Scott”. Keys’ fellow singers on the album have a similar sound to the artist’s music, and their respective discographies are all great listens if you like “ALICIA.” Keys’ featured artists are all closely tied to her music, as they all focus on on R&B or related genres. Although Keys’ is able to explore different genres, the collective voice through R&B helps bridge together what could have been conflicting features.

“Such a nuisance trying to cut all the loose ends,” Keys sings in her first song, “Truth Without Love,” which implies individual growth and peace. The album all takes place with an introspective but hopeful look towards Keys’ future and overall image. Keys creates a space within her songs that is peaceful but strong and rooted within self-love. “You can’t understand me is an understatement,” Keys said in “Truth Without Love.” It means that this album is not an explanation of who she is, but rather an unapologetic statement of how she has changed for a powerful and better self. 

“Underdog,” which is her most popular song from the album, is one of the few uptempo songs on the album. Keys has a hope and confidence in her future and herself, but she pays respect to the story of her struggle. As this album is her namesake, one can infer she has great connection and personal, emotional value to these songs. 

The pre-chorus and chorus both tell the stories of people trying to better their situations to become happier or more full of purpose. She describes her own struggles and those of single mothers, young teachers, student doctors and street hustlers, and these lyrics speak on the different social issues that are often universal to many communities. 

By speaking on social issues, Keys creates unity within the human experience of struggling with what one is given.  “For me, a seed of worthlessness was planted in childhood,” Keys said in her book “More Myself” that talks about her own struggle to find confidence not only in her music but also her self-image. Keys creates a therapeutic narrative in “ALICIA” that does not ignore the problems of the past but rather addresses the strength to overcome and the success that comes with such determination.