Star on her way? Or star for a day? (Songs In A Minor - Alicia Keys)

Member Name: Cwej1

Product:	Songs In A Minor - Alicia Keys
Date:	16/11/01 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning voice, Soulful songs

Disadvantages: Some very samey ballads, Needs a bit more 'life-experience'

I love nusoul. I can't deny it. I am a huge fan of the nusoul scene - Jill Scott, D'Angelo, Omar, India Arie, Erykah Badu - you know the sort. I hear good things about Alicia Keys, comparing her to Stevie Wonder and Janis Joplin. I buy the album. What do I think?

My opinion may not be that popular but hear me out. Alicia is very young, 19 years old I think. She is mature beyond her years - but when put alongside the earth-mother experience of Angie Stone or Erykah Badu, her wisdom doesn't seem to stand up for itself. She is still a young girl. And her youthfulness, though not necessarily a bad thing, undermines her attempts to be a totally credible artist.

That is not to say she doesn't have promise. Alicia Keys is perhaps the most talented young female singer-songwriter to appear on the music scene in the last 10 years. It's just that the album is, well... boring.

'Fallin'' is a wonderful song. A beautiful ballad, sung by the most proficient and excellent of singers, with heartfelt emotion and extraordinary depth. But you might say the same about 'How Come You Don't Call Me', 'Caged Bird' and 'Butterflyz', all equally strong ballads... but you get the feeling they are all a little bit samey, led by the piano riffs and strong vocals.

It is where Alicia takes herself away from these tracks on uptempo songs like 'Jane Doe' and the latin-influenced 'Mr Man' featuring Jimmy Cozier, that she truly excels and proves herself as a different (and more interesting) artist.

Maybe my judgement here is a little harsh. Alicia Keys has an incredible talent. It is evident in her confident vocals and soulful writing. But you just get the feeling that she could do a lot better. I expect the follow-up to 'Songs In A Minor' to be where she truly makes her mark as something special. With a bit of life experience to write about she may grab that little bit more
attention and rise above the masses, to become a legendary artist.

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