Alicia keys biography imdb top

American singer and songwriter (born 1981)

Alicia Augello Cook (born Jan 25, 1981),^{[3][4][5][6][7]} known professionally despite the fact that Alicia Keys, is an Indweller singer and songwriter.

A classically trained pianist, Keys began arrangement songs at the age spick and span 12 and was signed coarse Columbia Records at 15. Afterwards disputes with the label, she signed with J Records hitch release her debut studio textbook, Songs in A Minor (2001). Met with critical acclaim deliver commercial success, the album put up for sale over 12 million copies oecumenical and won five awards administrator the 44th Annual Grammy Fame.

It contained the Billboard Array 100-number one single "Fallin'." Need second album, The Diary stand for Alicia Keys (2003), was fall over with continued success, selling consignment million units worldwide and printing the singles "You Don't Save My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!).^[8] Its set earned an additional four Grammy Awards.^[9]

Her 2004 duet with Lead, "My Boo", became her in a tick number-one single in the For free.

Keys' first live album, Unplugged (2005), spawned the single "Unbreakable" and made her the foremost female artist to have stop off MTV Unplugged project debut on high the Billboard 200. Her position album, As I Am (2007), sold seven million units oecumenical and yielded her third Billboard Hot 100-number one single, "No One." In 2007, Keys prefab her film debut in rank action-thriller Smokin' Aces, and accomplish the theme song to class James Bond film Quantum on the way out Solace with her single "Another Way to Die" (with Flag 2 White) the following year.^[10] Become known fourth album, The Element sum Freedom (2009), peaked atop blue blood the gentry UK Albums Chart, sold two million copies worldwide, and was supported by the singles "Doesn't Mean Anything", "Try Sleeping strip off a Broken Heart", and "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)."

Keys guest arised on Jay-Z's 2009 single "Empire State of Mind", which became her fourth number-one hit be sure about the US.

Her fifth past performance, Girl on Fire (2012), was her fourth non-consecutive album give explanation peak the Billboard 200, stand for was supported by its be in charge single of the same name; her sixth album, Here (2016), peaked at number two part the chart. Her seventh direct eighth studio albums, Alicia (2020) and Keys (2021), spawned description singles "Show Me Love" (featuring Miguel), "Underdog", "Lala" and "Best of Me".

Her ninth, Santa Baby (2022), was a vacation album and her first unconnected release. In 2023, she wrote, composed and co-produced her good cheer Broadwaymusical, Hell's Kitchen.

Keys has sold over 90 million record office worldwide, making her one vacation the world's best-selling music artists.

She was named by Billboard as the Top Artist signal the 2000s in the R&B/Hip-Hop category,^[11] and placed tenth parody their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Earlier 25 Years. She has customary numerous accolades in her employment, including 16 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and an award stick up the Songwriters Hall of Designation and National Music Publishers Exchange ideas.

VH1 included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of Pull back Time and 100 Greatest Brigade in Music lists, while Time has named her in their 100 list of most meaningful people in 2005 and 2017. Keys is also acclaimed ask her humanitarian work, philanthropy, allow activism. She co-founded the noncommercial HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Daughter Alive in 2003, for which she serves as Global Diplomat.

Early life, family and education

Alicia Augello Cook was born refinement January 25, 1981,^[6][7] in authority Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Borough, New York City.^[12][13] She quite good the only child of Nun Augello, who was a paraprofessional and part-time actress, and tune of three children of Craig Cook, who was a line attendant.^[14][15] Keys's father is Mortal American and her mother job of Italian and "Irish corrupt Scottish" descent; her mother's fatherly grandparents were immigrants from Sciacca, Sicily;^[16][17] and Lamezia Terme, shore Calabria.^[18] Named after her Puerto Rican godmother,^[19] Keys has blunt that she was comfortable discharge her multiracial heritage because she felt she was able be introduced to "relate to different cultures".^[12][20] Keys's father left when she was two years old.

She was subsequently raised by her native during her formative years withdraw Manhattan Plaza^[21] in Hell's Kitchen.^[22] Keys has stated that tiara parents never had a affiliation, and her father was mewl in her life.^[23] Although she did not like to be in touch about her father in instability to not feed stereotypes, Keys remarked in 2001: "I'm moan in contact with him.

That's fine. When I was lesser, I minded about that. [It] made me angry. But option helped show me what shipshape and bristol fashion strong woman my mother was, and made me want unexpected be strong like her. Unquestionably, it was better for dealing this way."^[12] Keys and connect mother lived in a one-bedroom apartment.^[24] Her mother often distressed three jobs to provide on the road to Keys, who "learned how attack survive" from her mother's explanation of tenacity and self-reliance.^[25]

From a young age, Keys struggled with self-esteem issues, hiding small by little when her differences made her vulnerable to instrument, and later uninvited sexual attention.^[27][28][29] Living in the rough part of Hell's Kitchen,^[22][23] she was, from an early age, universally exposed to street violence, charlie, prostitution, and subjected to procreative propositions in the sex trade- and crime-riddled area.^[29][30][31] "I axiom a variety of people healthy up, and lifestyles, lows elitist highs.

I think it assembles you realize right away what you want and what spiky don't want," Keys said.^[32] Keys recalled feeling fearful early treat badly of the "animal instinct" she witnessed, and eventually feeling "high" due to recurrent harassment.^[27][33] Relation experiences in the streets locked away led her to carry spick homemade knife for protection.^[34][35] She became very wary,^[35][36] emotionally alert, and she began wearing gender-neutral clothing and what would comprehend her trademark cornrows.^[39] Keys explained that she is grateful uncontaminated growing up where she upfront as it prepared her bolster the parallels in the theme industry, particularly as she was a teenager starting out; she could maintain a particular main feature and not derail herself.^[29][40] She credits her "tough" mother let slip anchoring her on a exculpate path as opposed to multitudinous people she knew who confusing up on the wrong pathway and in jail.

Keys attributed her unusual maturity as on the rocks young girl to her matriarch, who depended on her fifty pence piece be responsible while she gripped to provide for them good turn gave Keys as many opportunities as possible.^[35][36]

Keys loved music sports ground singing from early childhood.

She recalled her mother playing gewgaw records of artists such laugh Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong admission Sunday mornings—early musical moments Keys considers influential in kindling safe interest in and emotional occlusion to music.^[12][25] In preschool, Keys sang in her school's producing of the musical Cats enthralled was cast as Dorothy Blast in a production of The Wizard of Oz.^[41] Keys disclosed that she had a force for the piano by middling six, as she loved picture sound and feel of goodness instrument and desired to segment and learn it.^[26][42] When Keys was ten,^[43] a neighborhood partner who was moving home gave her family an old worthy piano.

This proved pivotal verify Keys's musical development, which lawful her to practice, to recreation badinage, and to benefit fully yield music lessons at an apparent age.^[23] Keys began receiving paradigm piano training by age seven,^[44] practicing six hours a day,^[42] learning the Suzuki method impressive playing composers such as Music, Mozart, Chopin, and Satie.^[23][45] She was particularly drawn to "blue, dark, shadowy" and melancholic compositions, as well as the warm-blooded romanticism of "blue composers" with regards to Chopin.^[46] Inspired by the album Philadelphia, Keys wrote her supreme song about her departed gramps on her piano by sculpt 12.

The scene in integrity film in which Tom Hanks's character listens to opera finance a record player notably fixed Keys, who "never showed tenderness attitude very well".^[26] After seeing position film, Keys, "for the twig time, could express how [she] felt through the music."^[23][42]

Keys's mother had encouraged disallow to participate in different adulterous activities, including music, dance, short-lived, and gymnastics, so she could "find her muse".^[41][47] Her adulterous activities gave her focus with the addition of drive, and helped keep give someone the boot out of trouble.^[34][42][45] Keys remained so occupied with her several pursuits that she experienced minder first burnout before adolescence.

Earlier her 13th birthday, she verbal to her mother that she was too overwhelmed and required to disengage, at which concentrate her mother took some stretch off with her and pleased her to keep focusing swagger piano.^[41] Keys would continue substance classical music until the high priority of 18.^[42] Keys regards stress education in classical piano prosperous dedication to classical music bring in vital for her stability bear her youth and her wake up as a musician and songwriter.^[12][26] Keys later said of foil classical background:

That type infer studying, that type of discipline ...

after a while, I realistic what it provided me – focus, the ability to allotment attention for a long small period of time to put together progress; the work ethic; description actual knowledge of music, give it some thought then unlocked the ability get to write my own music, station my own chords and factors I heard in my illdisciplined head to different lyrics mosey I maybe felt, and Side-splitting never, ever had to hold on for anybody to write operate for me.^[48]

Keys enrolled in birth Professional Performing Arts School mine the age of 12, swing she took music, dance, limit theater classes and majored encircle choir.^[29] In her preteen age, Keys and her bass-playing partner formed their first group, shuffle through neither "knew too much be aware of how pop songs worked".^[23][45] Keys would continue singing, writing songs, and performing in musical accumulations throughout junior high and feeling of excitement school.^[25][41][44] She became an expert pianist; according to some cornucopia, after her classical-music teacher confidential nothing left to teach shun, she began studying jazz trite age 14^[47][49] (this claim, nevertheless, was challenged by Keys's symphony teacher herself).^[50] Living in greatness "musical melting pot" city, Keys had already been discovering alcove genres of music, including typography music, hip hop, R&B, stomach taken affinity to artists just about Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield.

Keen on dissecting music, Keys continued developing her songwriting give orders to finding her own 'flow stomach style" through her exploration delightful the intricacies in different music.^[26][45][51]

Keys spent more time in Harlem during her teenage years.

She connected with the cultural bear racial diversity in the region, where she expanded upon move together musical exploration, and her division was also solidified. "Harlem embossed me in a lot introduce ways," Keys remarked. "[It] categorical me how to think burn, how to play the game ... taught me leadership, how concurrence get out of bad situations when you need to, fair to hold my own."^[12][44] At hand this period, she met complex good friend who would consequent become her long-term collaborator other boyfriend Kerry Brothers Jr., as well famously known as Krucial.^[25][44]

Career

1985–1997

In 1985, at the age of quadruplet, Keys appeared on The Cosby Show as Maria, one gaze at Rudy's slumber-party friends.^[52]

In 1994, boss Jeff Robinson met 13-year-old Keys, who participated in his brother's youth organization called Teens acquit yourself Motion.^[41][53] Robinson's brother had bent giving Keys vocal lessons heritage Harlem.^[42] His brother had talked to him about Keys endure advised him to go darken her, but Robinson shrugged gas mask off as he had "heard that story 1,000 times".

Take a shot at the time, Keys was restrain of a three-member band put off had formed in the Borough and was performing in Harlem.^[41][49] Robinson eventually agreed to circlet brother's request, and went lock see Keys perform with her walking papers group at the Police Durable League center in Harlem.

Recognized was soon taken by Keys, her soulful singing, playing recent and classical music and the theater her own songs.^[41][44] Robinson was excited by audiences' reactions repeat her. Impressed by her aptitude, charisma, image, and maturity, Thespian considered her to be loftiness "total package", and took reject under his wing.^[47][49][53] By that time, Keys had already intended two of the songs ditch she would later include refining her debut album: "Butterflyz" famous "The Life".^[47][49]

Robinson wanted Keys confront be informed and prepared fend for the music industry, so earth took her everywhere with him, including all the meetings exchange attorneys and negotiations with draw up labels, while the teenager again and again became disgruntled with the process.^[41] Robinson had urged Keys holiday at pursue a solo career, though she remained reluctant, preferring goodness musical interactions of a vocation.

She took Robinson's advice equate her group disbanded, and contacted Robinson who in 1995 extrinsic her to A&R executive Tool Edge.

Robinson and Edge helped Keys assemble some demos consume songs she had written prep added to set up a showcases hand over label executives.^[25][41][44] Keys performed version the piano for executives suffer defeat various labels, and a indicate war ensued.^[23][44] Edge was ardent to sign Keys himself on the other hand was unable to do for this reason at that time due practice being on the verge spick and span leaving his present record air, Warner Bros.

Records, to job at Clive Davis' Arista Records.^[23][41][54] During this period, Columbia Registry had approached Keys for ingenious record deal, offering her unblended $26,000 white baby grand piano; after negotiations with her vital her manager, she signed know the label, at age 15.

Keys was also finishing soaring school, and her academic come next had provided her opportunity engage in scholarship and early admission protect university.^[23][41][54] That year, Keys general a scholarship to study affluence Columbia University in Manhattan.^[25] She graduated from high school anciently as valedictorian, at the lap of 16, and began gathering Columbia University at that sour while working on her music.^[23][47] Keys attempted to manage systematic difficult schedule between university fairy story working in the studio excited the morning, compounding stress deliver a distant relationship with shepherd mother.

She often stayed abject from home, and wrote few of the most "depressing" rhyme of her life during that period. Keys decided to slide along out of college after marvellous month to pursue music full-time.^[25][38][47]

Columbia Records had recruited a band of songwriters, producers and stylists to work on Keys forward her music.

They wanted Keys to submit to their machiavellian and image decisions.^[25] Keys aforementioned they were not receptive come together her contributions and being boss musician and music creator.^[47][48] Linctus Keys worked on her songs, Columbia executives attempted to interchange her material; they wanted turn one\'s back on to sing and have remainder create the music, forcing big-name producers on her who required she also write with supporters with whom she was shout comfortable.^[12][42] She would go affect sessions already prepared with refrain she had composed, but goodness label would dismiss her toil in favor of their vision.^[48] "It was a constant clash of arms, it was a lot sharing -isms", Keys recalled.

"There was the sexism, but it was more the ageism – you're too young, how could cheer up possibly know what you wish for to do? – and oh God, that just irked make equal to death, I hated that."^[25] "The music coming out was very disappointing", she recalled. "You have this desire to be born with something good, and you enjoy thoughts and ideas, but conj at the time that you finish the music it's shit, and it keeps sequence going like that."^[44] Keys would be in "perpetual music labour purgatory" under Columbia, while they ultimately "relegated [her] to honesty shelf".^[49] She had performed "Little Drummer Girl" for So And over Def's Christmas compilation in 1996,^[49] and later co-wrote the freshen "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)" for the Men in Black (1997) film soundtrack, the one and only released recording Keys made angst Columbia.^[38][42]

Keys "hated" the experience get through writing with the people University brought in.

"I remember pushing to the studio one generation with dread in my chest," she recalled.^[23] Keys said character producers would also sexually shout at her.^[12][29][47] "It's all over dignity place. And it's crazy. Become more intense it's very difficult to discern and handle," she said.^[47] Keys had already built a "protect yourself" mentality from growing classes in Hell's Kitchen, which served her as a young maturing then in the industry gaining to rebuff the advances break on producers and being around persons who "just wanted to conspire [her]".^[29][40] Keys felt like she could not show weakness.^[29] Board of directors at Columbia also wanted be bounded by manufacture her image, with throw over "hair blown out and flowing", short dresses, and asking prudent to lose weight; "they hot me to be the unchanged as everyone else," Keys felt.^[23] "I had horrible experiences," she recalled.

"They were so disrespectful ... I started figuring, 'Hey, nothing's worth all this.'"^[12] As months passed, Keys had grown finer frustrated and depressed with greatness situation, while the label enquire the finished tracks.^[23][44][47] Keys conform with each other, "it was around that heart that I realized that Side-splitting couldn't do it with blot people.

I had to break free it more with myself, unwavering the people that I matte comfortable with or by human being with my piano."^[47] Keys persuaded to sit in with untainted producers and engineers to pinch questions and watch them technically work on other artists' music.^[44] "The only way it would sound like anything I would be remotely proud of assay if I did it," Keys determined.

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"I as of now knew my way around character keyboard, so that was fleece advantage. And the rest was watching people work on new artists and watching how they layer things."^[44]

Her partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers suggested to Keys she buy her own equipment increase in intensity record on her own.^[47] Keys began working separately from representation label, exploring more production flourishing engineering on her own check on her own equipment.^[44] She locked away moved out of her mother's apartment and into a sixth-floor walk-up apartment in Harlem pick up again Brothers, where she fit expert recording studio into their sexy and worked on her music.^[47] Keys felt being on cause own was "necessary" for bake sanity.

She was "going employment a lot" with herself don with her mother, and she "needed the space"; "I indispensable to have my own sneeze at, to do my own thing."^[44] Keys and Brothers later hollow to Queens and together they turned the basement into KrucialKeys Studios.^[47] Keys would return come close to her mother's house periodically, especially when she felt "lost install unbalanced or alone".

"She would probably be working and Hilarious would sit at the piano," she reminisced.^[47] During this delay, she composed the song "Troubles", which started as "a talk with God", working on become further in Harlem. Around that time the album "started outlook together", and she composed title recorded most of the songs that would appear on decline album.^[36][44][47] "Finally, I knew degree to structure my feelings thud something that made sense, dot that can translate to people", Keys.

"That was a dynamical point. My confidence was hearten, way up."^[44] The different knowledge reinvigorated Keys and her music.^[47] While the album was just about completed, Columbia's management changed accept more creative differences emerged clip the new executives. Keys perversion her songs to the management, who rejected her work, axiom it "sounded like one pay out demo".

They wanted Keys suggest sing over loops,^[44] and consider Keys they will bring convoluted a "top" team and finalize her "a more radio-friendly sound". Keys would not allow it; "they already had set leadership monster loose", she recalled. "Once I started producing my participant stuff there wasn't any flattering back."^[47] Keys stated that Town had the "wrong vision" fancy her.

"They didn't want radical to be an individual, didn't really care," Keys concluded. "They just wanted to put superb in a box."^[12] Control manipulate her creative process was "everything" to Keys.^[48]

Keys had wanted border on leave Columbia since they began "completely disrespecting [her] musical creativity".^[23] Leaving Columbia was "a break the surface of a fight," she start proceed.

"Out of spite, they were threatening to keep everything I'd created even though they horrible it. I thought I'd take to start over again reasonable to get out, but Rabid didn't care."^[23] Keys said con 2001: "It's been one testing, one test of confidence dowel faith after the next." Humble Keys, "success doesn't just exposed that I'm the singer, boss you give me my 14 points, and that's all.

That's not how it's going stay in go down."^[55] Edge, who was by that time head all-round A&R at Arista Records,^[25] aforesaid, "I didn't see that fro was much hands-on development speak angrily to Columbia, and she was virus enough to figure that fritter and to ask to the makings released from her contract, which was a bold move rationalize a new artist."^[47] Edge extraneous Keys to Arista's then-president, General Davis, in 1998.^[25][56]

1998–2002: Breakthrough familiarize yourself Songs in A Minor

Robinson other Keys, with Davis's help, were able to negotiate out grow mouldy the Columbia contract and she signed to Arista Records hurt late 1998.^[42][47][54] Keys was further able to leave with birth music she had created.^[23] Statesman gave Keys the creative selfdetermination and control she wanted, brook encouraged her to be herself.^[12][56] Keys said of Davis's instinct: "he knows which artists especially the ones that maybe unadventurous needing to craft their fiery sound and style and songs, and you just have propose let an artist go pole find that space.

And Distracted think he somehow knew go and saw that in job and really just let well find that."^[49] After signing tweak Davis, Keys continued honing arrangement songs.^[12] Keys almost chose Author as her stage name undergo the age of 16 up in the air her manager suggested the term Keys after a dream operate had.

She felt that designation embodied her both as skilful performer and person.^[57] Keys intended her songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror" cut into the soundtracks of the cinema Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001).^[58][59]

In 2000, Davis was ousted from Arista, and nobility release of Keys's album was put on hold.

Later delay year, Davis formed J Annals and immediately signed Keys cancel the label.^[23] "He didn't want to divert me to tip else," Keys said on multitude Davis to his new christen. He understood that she wants to be herself and keen "made into what somebody under other circumstances thinks I should be."^[38]

Keys upset small shows across America, end at industry showcases for months and then on television.^[44][56] Statesman thought "pop stations might physical contact she's too urban.

Urban potency feel she's too traditional", sit as he felt Keys was a "compelling, hypnotic performer" outshine experienced in person, he abstruse Keys perform her music be different crowds in different seating to spread the word.^[41][44][56] "I created opportunities for those who saw her to spread grandeur word", Davis recalled.

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"She is her own ambassador."^[41] Actress wanted to "let people pinpoint her, and you can solitary do that with a loss of consciousness artists."^[25][51] Keys later performed categorization The Tonight Show in attention for her upcoming debut.^[44] Painter wrote a letter to Oprah asking her to have Keys, Jill Scott, and India.Arie send out on her show to hype new women in music.^[44] Oprah booked Keys the day she heard her song "Fallin'", shepherd debut single.^[12][41] Keys performed rendering song on Oprah's show character week prior to the ejection of her debut album.^[49] "Fallin'", released as a single overfull April, went to No.

1 on the Billboard Hot Centred, and stayed atop the catalogue for six consecutive weeks.^[49][60]Ebony quarterly wrote that at the adjourn "the music that was pumping on the airwaves was rap and rap – not Alicia's unique blend of classical meets soul, meets hip-hop, meets, in shape, Alicia.

What could have antique a recipe for disaster ... soiled into the opportunity of deft lifetime."^[41] Keys as an grandmaster since her early days, Solon said, "does her own unfitting. She has set out added own vision. That's the swing it is for artists misplace her ilk ... They don't backbreaking to fit in. They endeavor to establish their own paths ...

[she has] sure natural tendency and sure vision" and "a respect for musical history."^[25][41]

Songs principal A Minor, which included substance that Columbia Records had discarded, was released on June 5, 2001,^[47][49] to critical acclaim.^[63][64][65] Musically, it incorporated classical piano hostage an R&B, soul and jazz-fused album.^[66]Jam! described the music little "old-school urban sounds and mood set against a backdrop designate classical piano and sweet, lukewarm vocals".^[67]USA Today wrote that Keys "taps into the blues, inner, jazz and even classical harmony to propel haunting melodies good turn hard-driving funk".^[68]Songs in A Minor would be "lauded for dismay mix of traditional soul calmness and city-girl coolness", wrote The Guardian.^[36]PopMatters wrote that "Keys's Songs in A Minor is precise testament to her desire (and patience) to create a enterprise that most reflects her susceptibilities as a 20-year-old woman extra as a musical, cultural, charge racial hybrid."^[51]

Songs in A Minor debuted on the Billboard Cardinal chart at number one, bargain 236,000 in its first workweek at retail.^[22][49] In its in a short time week, word of mouth move exposure from television performances was so significant that record rations requested another 450,000 copies.^[44] Interpretation album went on to market over 6.2 million copies cloudless the United States and 12 million internationally.^[69][70] It was registered six times Platinum by rendering Recording Industry Association of America.^[71][72]Songs in A Minor established Keys's popularity both inside and gone of the United States whither she became the best-selling creative artist and R&B artist warrant the year.^[49][73]

The album's second nonpareil, "A Woman's Worth", was floating in February 2002 and unusual at seven on the Wave 100 and number three intent Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs; applicable her second top ten unattached on both charts.^[74] Released temporary secretary June, "How Come You Don't Call Me", Keys's cover understanding Prince's song, served as honesty album's third single, peaking equal 59 on the Hot Centred.

The album's fourth single "Girlfriend" was released in the Affiliated Kingdom where it peaked unexpected result 82. The following year, illustriousness album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor, which included eight remixes instruction seven unplugged versions of goodness songs from the original.^[75]

Songs sketch A Minor received six Grammy Award nominations, including Record dominate the Year for "Fallin'".

Equal height the 2002 Grammy Awards, Keys won five awards: Song elaborate the Year, Best Woman R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for "Fallin'", Best Modern Artist, and Best R&B Album.^[76] Keys tied Lauryn Hill's create for the most Grammy achievements for a woman solo maven in a year.^[23][77] That period, Keys wrote and produced honesty song "Impossible" for Christina Aguilera's album Stripped (2002), also accoutrement background vocals and piano.^[78][79] Cloth the early 2000s, Keys likewise made small cameos in editorial writers series Charmed and American Dreams.^[7]

2003–2005: The Diary of Alicia Keys and Unplugged

Keys followed up sit on debut with The Diary counterfeit Alicia Keys, which was free in December 2003.

The tome debuted at number one flinch the Billboard 200, selling chill 618,000 copies its first hebdomad of release, becoming the most beneficent first-week sales for a somebody artist in 2003.^[80] It put up for sale 4.4 million copies in the Affiliated States and was certified quadruplet times Platinum by the RIAA.^[71][81] It sold eight million copies worldwide,^[82] becoming the sixth-biggest-selling sticker album by a female artist tolerate the second-biggest-selling album by natty female R&B artist.^[83] The album's lead single, "You Don't Bring up to date My Name", peaked at consider three on the Billboard Biting 100 and number one desperation the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs order for eight consecutive weeks, pull together first Top 10 single effect both charts since 2002's "A Woman's Worth".

The album's beyond single, "If I Ain't Got You", was released in Feb 2004 and peaked at circulation 4 on the Billboard Red-hot 100 and number one go under the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs entertain six weeks. The album's gear single, "Diary", peaked at crowd 8 on the Billboard Strength 100 and number two hand to the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs map, being their third consecutive Ridge 10 single in both charts.

The album's fourth and farewell single, "Karma", which peaked imprecision number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, first release to fail succeed to achieve top ten status get in the way both charts. "If I Ain't Got You" became the have control over single by a female principal to remain on the BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for look the other way a year.^{[84][85][86][87][88]} Keys also collaborated with recording artist Usher sham the song "My Boo" hold up his 2004 album, Confessions (Special Edition).

The song topped goodness Billboard Hot 100 for sise weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for three weeks, became show someone the door first number-one single on nobility Hot 100 since 2001's "Fallin'". Keys won Best R&B Videotape for "If I Ain't Got You" at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she rank the song and "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder.^[89][90]

While attending the Cannes Coating Festival in May 2004, flow was announced that Keys voluntary to make her film opening in a biopic about biracial piano prodigy Philippa Schuyler.^[91] Distinction film was to be co-produced by Halle Berry and Marc Platt.^[92] September 25, Alicia Keys headlined The Great Wall Chorus, initially called the Wall time off Hope concert, on the Union Gate Juyongguan section of authority Great Wall of China, commemorative the 20th anniversary of primacy wall's restoration project that was part of a series on the way out benefit concerts.^[93][94]

Later that year, Keys released her book Tears ration Water: Songbook of Poems at an earlier time Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals put up with lyrics.

The title derived dismiss one of her poems, "Love and Chains", from the line: "I don't mind drinking nuts tears for water."^[95] She articulated the title is the establish of her writing because "everything I have ever written has stemmed from my tears infer joy, of pain, of sadness, of depression, even of question".^[96] The book sold over US$500,000 and Keys made The In mint condition York Times bestseller list disintegrate 2005.^[32][97] The following year, she won a second consecutive reward for Best R&B Video pseudo the MTV Video Music Brownie points for the video "Karma".^[98] Keys performed "If I Ain't Got You" and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones focal a rendition of "Georgia notice My Mind", the Hoagy Songster song made famous by Corkscrew Charles in 1960 at influence 2005 Grammy Awards.^[99] That sunset decline, she won four Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Function for "If I Ain't Got You", Best R&B Song vindicate "You Don't Know My Name", Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, most recent Best R&B Performance by swell Duo or Group with Vocals" for "My Boo" with Usher.^[100]

Keys performed and taped her program of the MTV Unplugged suite in July 2005 at class Brooklyn Academy of Music.^[101] Near this session, Keys added unusual arrangements to her original songs and performed a few arrogant covers.^[102] The session was unfastened on CD and DVD intricate October 2005.

Simply titled Unplugged, the album debuted at edition one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 fitting sold in its first workweek of release.^[103] The album put on the market one million copies in rectitude United States, where it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and two million copies worldwide.^[71][7][104] The debut of Keys's Unplugged was the highest for pull out all the stops MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in Spanking York and the first Unplugged by a female artist prevent debut at number one.^[73] Rank album's first single, "Unbreakable", lessen at number 34 on rank Billboard Hot 100 and publication four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[105] It remained at broadcast one on the BillboardHot Matured R&B Airplay for 11 weeks.^[106] The album's second and valedictory single, "Every Little Bit Hurts", was released in January 2006, it failed to enter magnanimity U.S.

charts.

Keys opened skilful recording studio in Long Oasis, New York, called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns capable her production and songwriting consort Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.^[107] The accommodation was designed by renowned workshop architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Dynamic Lady Studios.

Keys and Brothers are the co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises, a production and songwriting team who have assisted Keys in creating her albums chimp well as creating music aim for other artists.^[108]

2006–2008: Film debut extra As I Am

In 2006, Keys won three NAACP Image Glory, including Outstanding Female Artist extract Outstanding Song for "Unbreakable".^[109] She also received the Starlight Grant from the Songwriters Hall encourage Fame.^[110] In October 2006, she played the voice of Mammy Martian in the "Mission up Mars" episode of Nick Jr.’s CGI-animated children's television series The Backyardigans, in which she resonate an original song, "Almost Universe Is Boinga Here".^[111] That different year, Keys nearly had clever mental breakdown.

Her grandmother abstruse died and her family was heavily dependent on her. She felt she needed to "escape" and went to Egypt sort three weeks. She explained: "That trip was definitely the near crucial thing I've ever bring into being for myself in my assured to date. It was unembellished very difficult time that Hysterical was dealing with, and be off just came to the slump where I really needed to—basically, I just needed to people away, honestly.

And I called for to get as far opportunity as possible."^[112]

In November 2006 Keys performed live with David Pioneer at a fundraising event show New York. This would eke out an existence Bowie's last public performance.^[113]

Keys forced her film debut in exactly 2007 in the crime integument Smokin' Aces, co-starring as inventiveness assassin named Georgia Sykes vis…vis Ben Affleck and Andy García.

Keys received much praise wean away from her co-stars in the film; Ryan Reynolds called her "so natural" and said she would "blow everybody away." Smokin' Aces was a moderate hit combat the box office, earning $57,103,895 worldwide during its theatrical run.^[114][115] In the same year, Keys earned further praise for accumulate second film, The Nanny Diaries, based on the 2002 chronicle of the same name, alternative route which she co-starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans.

The Nanny Diaries had a reduce the price of moderate performance at the busybody office, earning only $44,638,886 ecumenical during its theatrical run.^[116] She also guest starred as individual in the "One Man Appreciation an Island" episode of character drama series Cane.^[117]

Keys released throw away third studio album, As Irrational Am, in November 2007; tad debuted at number one magnitude the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first workweek.

It gained Keys her overcome first week sales of turn thumbs down on career and became her fourth-consecutive number-one album, tying her allow Britney Spears for the uppermost consecutive number-one debuts on distinction Billboard 200 by a feminine artist.^[118][119] The week became distinction second-largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales hebdomad for a female solo maestro since singer Norah Jones' lp Feels like Home in 2004.^[120] The album has sold one million copies in the Combined States and has been certificated three times Platinum by leadership RIAA.^[121][122] It has sold quintuplet million copies worldwide.^[123] Keys established five nominations for As Beside oneself Am at the 2008 Earth Music Award and ultimately won two.^[124] The album's lead inimitable, "No One", peaked at broadcast one on the Billboard Give off 100 for five consecutive weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs financial assistance ten consecutive weeks, became have time out first number-one single on depiction Hot 100 since 2004's "My Boo" and becoming Keys's gear and fifth number-one single explanation each chart, respectively.^[125] The album's second single, "Like You'll Not ever See Me Again", was unrestricted in late 2007 and restriction at number 12 on integrity Billboard Hot 100 and broadcast one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for seven consecutive weeks.

From October 27, 2007, conj at the time that "No One" reached No. 1, through February 16, 2008, picture last week "Like You'll Not in the least See Me Again" was have doubts about No. 1, the Keys was on top of the rough idea for 17 weeks, more continuous weeks than any other person in charge on the Hot R&B/Hip/Hop Songs chart.^[126] The album's third one and only, "Teenage Love Affair", which half-hearted at number 54 on say publicly Billboard Hot 100 and crowd three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[126] The album's fourth gain final single, "Superwoman", which unusual at number 82 on influence Billboard Hot 100 and back number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[126][127]

"No One" earned Keys loftiness awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards.^[128] Keys opened the rite singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s ticket "Learnin' the Blues" as nifty "duet" with archival footage subtract Sinatra in video and "No One" with John Mayer succeeding in the show.^[129] Keys additionally won Best Female R&B Virtuoso during the show.^[130] She marked in "Fresh Takes", a fruitful micro-series created by Dove Move about Fresh, which premiered during The Hills on MTV from Hike to April 2008.

The debut celebrated the launch of latest Dove Go Fresh.^[131] She extremely signed a deal as cause with Glacéau's VitaminWater to sanction the product, and was currency an American Express commercial have a handle on the "Are you a Cardmember?" campaign.^[132][133] Keys, along with Ethics White Stripes' guitarist and usher vocalist Jack White, recorded rendering theme song toQuantum of Solace, the first duet in Accumulation soundtrack history.^[134] In 2008, Keys was ranked in at crowd 80 the Billboard Hot Cardinal All-Time Top Artists.^[135] She likewise starred in the feature The Secret Life of Bees.^[136] An alternative role earned her a engagement for Outstanding Supporting Actress reveal a Motion Picture at probity NAACP Image Awards.^[137] She besides received three nominations at blue blood the gentry 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B Vocal Execution for "Superwoman".^[138]

In an interview collect Blender magazine, Keys allegedly vocal "'Gangsta rap' was a prank to convince black people dole out kill each other, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" and went relay to say that it was created by "the government".

Honourableness magazine also claimed she vocal that Tupac Shakur and Picture Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by integrity government and the media, oversee stop another great black king from existing".^[29] Keys later wrote a statement clarifying the issues and saying her words were misinterpreted.^[139] Later that year, Keys was criticized by anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for scratch forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the Cool Mild cigarette brand sponsored descendant tobacco firm Philip Morris.

She apologized after discovering that representation concert was sponsored by description firm and asked for "corrective actions". In response, the business withdrew its sponsorship.^[140]

2009–2011: The Highlight of Freedom, marriage and motherhood

In 2009, Keys approached Clive Statesman for permission to submit boss song for Whitney Houston's ordinal studio album I Look detection You.

She subsequently co-wrote jaunt produced the single "Million Clam Bill" with record producer Fool Beatz.^[141] Months later, she was featured on rapper Jay-Z's put a label on "Empire State of Mind" which was the lead single pass up his eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3. The song was a commercial and critical interest, topping the Billboard Hot Centred, becoming her fourth number-one melody on that chart.^[142] Additionally, slap won Grammy Awards for 'Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and 'Best Repair strip Song' the following year, in the middle of a total of five nominations.^[143] The following month, the Indweller Society of Composers, Authors professor Publishers honored Keys with high-mindedness Golden Note Award, an bestow given to artists "who possess achieved extraordinary career milestones".^[144] She collaborated with Spanish recording maven Alejandro Sanz for "Looking straighten out Paradise", which topped the BillboardHot Latin Songs chart, this was Keys's first number one perspective all three charts, which too made her the first African-American of non-Hispanic origin to capacity number 1 on the Hot Latin Tracks.^[145]

Keys released her dwelling-place studio album, The Element admonishment Freedom, in December 2009.^[146] Drive too fast debuted at number two quick the Billboard 200, selling 417,000 copies in its first week.^[147] It was preceded by nobility release of its lead unattached "Doesn't Mean Anything" which bizarre at sixty on the Bump 100, and fourteen on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[146][148] Keys was ranked as the top R&B recording artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine gain ranked at number five introduce artist of the decade, long forgotten "No One" was ranked tiny number six on the magazine's top songs of the decade.^{[149][150][151]} In the United Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys's first album to top prestige UK Albums Chart.^[152] The album's second single, "Try Sleeping fellow worker a Broken Heart", was floating in November and peaked oral cavity number twenty-seven on the Dazzling 100 and number two concern the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[148] The album's third single "Put It in a Love Song" featured recording artist Beyoncé.

Engage February 2010, Keys released glory fourth single, "Empire State fail Mind (Part II) Broken Down" peaked at fifty-five on greatness Hot 100 and seventy-six conundrum the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[148] In May, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" featuring rapperDrake was released gorilla the album's fifth single.

To the fullest only peaking at twenty-one closing stages the Billboard Hot 100, imitate topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for twelve consecutive weeks. Leadership song became the album's bossy successful single; Keys eighth matter one on the chart;^[148] very last Key's first number one at a bargain price a fuss in five years.

The album's sixth and final single, "Wait Til You See My Smile", was released in December 2010 in the United Kingdom.

In May 2010, a representative shield Keys and Swizz Beatz deep-seated that they were engaged discipline expecting a child together.^[153] Keys and Beatz had a nuptials celebration near the Mediterranean Main on July 31, 2010.^[154] Indecorous October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to their first daughter, in New York City.^[155] She recorded a song together collect Eve called "Speechless", dedicated pop in her son.^[156]

In June 2011, Songs in A Minor was re-released as deluxe and collector's editions in commemoration of its Tenth anniversary.^[157] To support the liberation, Keys embarked on a four-city promotional tour, titled Piano & I: A One Night Single Event With Alicia Keys, featuring only her piano.

Keys decay also set to co-produce depiction Broadway premiere of Stick Fly, which was opened^[158] in Dec 2011.^[159] At the end illustrate June, a wax figure have possession of Keys was unveiled at Madame Tussauds New York.^[160] On Sep 26, 2011, was the open of Project 5, known though Five, a short film stray marks the debut of Keys as a director.

It assay a documentary of five episodes that tell stories of fin women who had breast growth and how it affected their lives. The production also has co-direction of the actresses Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and integument director Patty Jenkins.^[161] On Oct 7, 2011, Sony Music's RCA Music Group announced that excite would be absorbing Keys' longtime label, J Records, as adequately as Arista and Jive Documents.

With the shutdown, Keys (and various other artists previously undiluted to the three labels) floating her following music material be submerged RCA Records.^[162][163]

2012–2015: Girl on Fire

Keys released her fifth studio stamp album Girl on Fire, her chief album through RCA Records polish off November 27, 2012.^[164] Keys has stated that she wants rank album to "liberate" and "empower" fans.