American singer-songwriter, pianist, and music producer

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

has written and produced for her five

studio albums An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

, in collaborations, for other artists and for film and theater. Keys began composing songs she would later include on her debut studio album, ''

Songs in A Minor ''Songs in A Minor'' is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys, released on June 5, 2001, by J Records. Keys began writing songs for the album in 1995 at age 14 and recording the album in 1998 for Columbia Records, ...

'' at age 14. She signed with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

at age 15, later leaving Columbia to sign with

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

and then

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...

. Prior to the release of ''Songs in A Minor'' in June 2001, her song "

Girlfriend A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved. In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the indi ...

" was released to US radio in earlier in the year as a promotional song "to introduce" Keys. It was co-written by Keys with

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

and Joshua Thompson and contains a

sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...

Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known by his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily fr ...

's track "

Brooklyn Zoo The Prospect Park Zoo is a zoo located off Flatbush Avenue on the eastern side of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. , the zoo houses 864 animals representing about 176 species, and , it averages 300,000 visitors annually. The Prospect ...

". The album's official first single, " Fallin'", written and produced solely by Keys, topped the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

chart. "

A Woman's Worth "A Woman's Worth" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her debut studio album ''Songs in A Minor'' (2001). A soul- R&B ballad, it was written by Keys and Erika Rose and produced by Keys. The song was released as the se ...

", written by Keys and Erika Rose, is a "

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

-tinged" song with lyrical content on how men should treat and respect women. Keys released her second album, ''

The Diary of Alicia Keys ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' is the second studio album by American singer Alicia Keys. It was released on December 2, 2003, by J Records. The album was recorded at several recording studios, and production was handled primarily by Keys with contr ...

'', in December 2003. In addition to working with previous collaborator

Kerry Brothers, Jr. Kerry Brothers Jr. (born October 1, 1970), also known as "Krucial", is an American record producer, songwriter and hip hop music, hip hop artist. Brothers and singer-songwriter Alicia Keys began a musical partnership in the mid-1990s, co-writing a ...

, Keys also collaborated with several others for the album. Keys co-produced the song "Heartburn" with

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

and worked with

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

on "

You Don't Know My Name "You Don't Know My Name" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003). It was written by Keys, Kanye West and Harold Lilly, and produced by Keys and West. The song c ...

". Several of the songs were written solely by Keys, including "Harlem's Nocturne", "Dragon Days", "Feeling U, Feeling Me" (Interlude) and the single, "

If I Ain't Got You "If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003). Inspired by the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, the September 11 attacks, and other events in the ...

", and she produced most of the album herself. A music journalist for ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' wrote that ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' "confirmed her place in musical history". Her third studio, ''

As I Am ''As I Am'' is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It was released on November 9, 2007 by J Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording studios from 2005 until 2007. Production was h ...

'', was released in November 2007. Keys wrote several of the songs with collaborator Kerry Brothers, Jr., including "Go Ahead" and "Where Do We Go from Here". She also collaborated with

Linda Perry Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She was the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, and has since founded two record labels and composed and produced hit songs for ...

on the songs "The Thing About Love", "Sure Looks Good to Me" and "

Superwoman Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, like flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength. Detective Comics, Inc. trademarked the ...

", for which she was awarded the

Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...

in 2009. The songs "As I Am" (Intro) and "Prelude to a Kiss" were written solely by Keys. ''

The Element of Freedom ''The Element of Freedom'' is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys, released on December 11, 2009, by J Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during May to September 2009 at the Oven Studios in Long ...

'', Keys' fourth studio album, was released in December 2009; it was preceded by the lead single "

Doesn't Mean Anything "Doesn't Mean Anything" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. It written and produced by Keys and longtime partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers for her fourth studio album ''The Element of Freedom'' (2009), with its lyrics sp ...

", co-written with Kerry Brothers, Jr. During this time, Keys collaborated with

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

on "

Empire State of Mind "Empire State of Mind" is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Alicia Keys from the former's 11th studio album, '' The Blueprint 3'' (2009). It was released on October 20, 2009. Produced by Al Shux, the song featur ...

". Keys recorded her version of the song for ''The Element of Freedom'' entitled "

Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" is a song by American musician Alicia Keys from her fourth studio album, ''The Element of Freedom'' (2009). It is an answer song to the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one single "Empire State of Mind" pe ...

"; she also collaborated with

Alejandro Sanz Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Latin Grammy Awar ...

on " Looking for Paradise". On ''The Element of Freedom'', she wrote a number of the songs with longtime collaborator Kerry Brothers, Jr., including "Love is My Disease" and "This Bed". Keys solely wrote and produced "That's How Strong My Love Is". She also collaborated with

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

on "

Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys from her fourth studio album ''The Element of Freedom'' (2009), that features uncredited background vocals from Canadian rapper Drake, although he is credited on the of ...

" and featured

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

on "

Put It in a Love Song "Put It in a Love Song" is a song by American singer Alicia Keys. The song, written and produced by Keys and Swizz Beatz, features guest vocals by American singer Beyoncé. It was originally sent to radio on January 19, 2010, by J Records, as th ...

". Keys' fifth album, '' Girl on Fire'' was released in November 2012. The

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...

was accompanied by two remixes: one featuring rap verses by

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

, and the other Keys signing in a stripped back production. Keys collaborated with Scottish singer

Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian fathe ...

on three songs for the album: "101", "

Not Even the King "Not Even the King" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her fifth studio album, ''Girl on Fire'' (2012). Co-written by Emeli Sandé, "Not Even the King" is a piano ballad about love which is bigger than the world, and ...

" and the second single, " Brand New Me", a

piano ballad A ballade (from French ''ballade'', , and German ''Ballade'', , both being words for "ballad"), in classical music since the late 18th century, refers to a setting of a literary ballad, a narrative poem, in the musical tradition of the , or to a on ...

about personal growth, produced by Keys.

Songs

References

External links

Official website
{{Alicia Keys singles Keys, Alicia

Songs

See also

References

External links