Chris's Incredibly Important Thoughts on Alicia Keys

There are many things I love in this world, for example I love to watch fat people at buffet restaurants or Asian people at amusement parks, but if there is one thing that I love more then most other things is that very special day that occurs about every four years or so when Jesus, I mean Alicia Keys graces the world with a new album.  November 13^th of this past year was one of those magical days.  I myself think of these days as something of a holiday, usually dropping whatever it is I had planed and running to my nearest music retailer to pick up my copy of Ms. Keys’s latest masterpiece.  This time around I was forced to wait until I finished a particularly grueling day of graduate school before I could run out to get my fix.  The day, which included a ridiculous presentation on Universal healthcare, was so long and arduous (That is a word that means difficult for all of you reading this that are not Kirsten Paine) but at the same time it was kind of like foreplay.  But enough about that day let me muse a bit on the brilliance of As I Am.  I have to admit I was worried because in early September when Alicia dropped her new single No One I was shall we say underwhelmed to say the least.  Not that the song is bad but when you look at her previous singles it baffles me that people think that this is her best work.  Regardless of my thoughts on the first single not purchasing the album was never an option.  The album cover is an incredible close up black and white beauty shot that far exceeds any of the photos taken by the “models” and I use that term loosely on America’s Next Top Model.  The photo which in my mind is hotter then most of the pornography I have seen lately is only the window dressing however as the cd itself is by far Keys’s greatest accomplishment to date.  Opening with a subtle yet enchanting piano interlude that blows into the token “done me wrong song” better known as Go Ahead.  Now in a interview I heard Alicia say that this song is not about a scorned woman as the lyrics suggest but her unrest with the current state of the world at the hands of an inept American government.  So ok maybe I don’t buy that 100% but I have to give props to anyone that attempts to turn a club banging jam about getting dick-around by your baby daddy into a anti-George Bush protest song.  The album moves onto a couple of average Alicia Keys tracks before moving into a stretch of masterpieces.  Starting with the current single Like You’ll Never See Me Again (which have you seen the video for yet, if not youtube that shit now) Keys delivers song after song of classic R&B that recalls the music of the mid to late 70s (In other words a world very much like now with a dumb president and a stupid war, but with a lot more weed).  Next comes Lesson Learned one of the album’s two standout tracks.  Lesson Learned is a slow burning collaboration with John Mayer (More Incredibly Important Thoughts on him to come later I’m sure) This is how it is done, people should take notes this is called music (Ashlee Simpson – Not Music, Brittany Spears – So Not Music) The other standout on the album is Teenage Love Affair an upbeat romp through the excitement of first love, this song for me has become the mainstay of my iPod and is frequently responsible for my recently elevated mood.  In other words this song is like Paxil but without the sexual side effects.  Yes regardless of how low my mood is for example after having to test other people’s urine for drugs or deal with Dr. Nut-Job Kingson’s class I can pop this song on and instantly I’m flying high.  So basically if you don’t own the album yet go buy it, its more then worth it.  We all know that Keys is a genius and just do it you know you want to.

 

Grades:

Alicia Keys: As I Am = A