15-time Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys has released her highly-anticipated seventh studio album Alicia (via RCA Records). The album, which shows the many sides of Alicia at this current point in time in her life, offers a 15-song tracklist, including collaborations with the likes of Jill Scott, Khalid, Miguel, Snoh Aalegra, Tierra Whack, Sampha, and Diamond Platinumz.
“This album has such a special energy! It embodies everything I love about music and art at this time in my life,” says Keys. “I’m so excited to connect with people from all over the world with these sounds, lyrics and melodies. I called this album Alicia because it’s the most me I’ve ever felt while in the studio. I got comfortable with all my different sides while creating it. I hope everyone who listens can vibe along as the truest version of themselves.”
Keys celebrated the album’s release in September live on Good Morning America. During the show’s broadcast, she performed the album’s new anthemic single “Love Looks Better” in a surprise concert at Brooklyn’s Skyline Drive-In. The event was dedicated to its audience of real-life heroes: essential workers in this current pandemic (all in cars, socially distanced).
Following the release of Alicia, Tidal will share track-by-track visual commentary from Keys and exclusively release the debut episode of the ‘Credit Due’ video series, in which she and her expert contributors explore her songwriting, recording and production process while breaking down select tracks from the album.
Praise for the music of Alicia has been coming for the past year, with Keys’ steady stream of hit singles and deep album cuts. Last month saw the release of “So Done,” a smooth, cathartic R&B collaboration with Khalid, which was met with critical acclaim. Keys kicked off 2020 with the release of the album’s hit “Underdog,” which received raves reviews upon its release with E! calling it, “The power anthem you’ll play on repeat.”
In late 2019, Keys offered the first sampling of Alicia with “Show Me Love,” featuring Miguel. The song earned Keys a record-extending 11th number 1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs airplay chart. Upon its release, BET.com wrote, “Keys embodies what it means to be “an artist,” in every sense of the word with her latest project.”
The album, which shows the many sides of Alicia at this current point in time of her life journey, is also preceded by three other already-released masterful tracks: “Time Machine,” a supersonic four-on-the-floor anthem about the freedom that comes with letting go; “Good Job,” a powerful ballad praising unsung heroes and frontline workers, which premiered in April during a special Covid-19 global town hall on CNN. The emotional “Perfect Way To Die,” is dedicated to innocent Black lives lost due to police brutality. She gave a moving performance of the song during the BET Awards broadcast in June.
The album is a counterpart piece to Keys’ New York Times Best-selling book More Myself: A Journey, which was released in March as the first title on Oprah’s new imprint with Flatiron Books. For more information on the book, click here.
Alicia Tracklist:
- Truth Without Love
- Time Machine
- Authors Of Forever
- Wasted Energy (featuring Diamond Platinumz)
- Underdog
- 3 Hour Drive (featuring Sampha)
- Me x 7 (featuring Tierra Whack)
- Show Me Love (featuring Miguel)
- So Done (featuring Khalid)
- Gramercy Park
- Love Looks Better
- You Save Me (featuring Snoh Aalegra)
- Jill Scott (featuring Jill Scott)
- Perfect Way To Die
- Good Job
Alicia is now available to stream, download, and purchase here.