9781422271865

long demo.”They couldn’t hear the Grammys in her classical- and jazz-influenced compositions. Keys moved to Arista, drawn by her association with the Robinson brothers, one of whom scouted new talent for the label. “Fallin,’” one of the insulted demo songs, went number one for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Her orchestral arrangements and layered vocals appeal to a listening public that favors crossovers. Since her 2001 debut album, Keys has earned 15 Grammy Awards, sold more than 35 million albums, and penned hits for herself and others. She has now authored her first book and returned to acting. Keys often collaborates with rap and hip-hop legends like Kanye West and Usher. West produced her hit “You Don’t Know My Name.” Her collaboration with Usher, “My Boo,” held the number-one Hot 100 position for six weeks. Her second album, which featured both songs, also won her four Grammys. In 2007, Keys delved into experimental pop with the album As I Am , then shifted to downbeat R&B jams with 2009’s The Element of Freedom . Keys merged the two sounds for a sophisticated mix of the sounds on 2012’s Girl on Fire . Her pop experimentation coincided with her 2007 theatrical debut. She appeared in the film Smokin’ Aces , with co-stars Ben Affleck and Ryan Reynolds. She followed it up with roles in The Secret

Scan to watch the video for Alicia Keys’s breakthrough hit “Fallin.’”

8

HIP-HOP & R&B

Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online