CD REVIEW PROJECT
Alicia Keys is one of the top American recording artists of current times. Her career so far entails the release of five studio albums, seventeen singles, one live album and eighteen music videos. She mostly records and shoots her music videos with J records, which is a record label that is operated by Sonic Music Entertainment Company. She also doubles as an actress. The following is a list of all her album releases in order of chronology.
Songs in A minor. Dir. Alicia Keys. Perf. Alicia keys. J Records, 2001. CD, digital download.
The diary of Alicia Keys. Dir. Alicia Keys. Perf. Alicia keys. J Records, 2003. CD, digital download.
As I am.dir. Alicia keys. Perf. Alicia keys. J records, 2007. CD, digital download.
The element of freedom. Dir. Alicia keys. Perf. Alicia keys. J records, 2009. CD, digital download.
Girl on fire. Dir. Alicia keys. Perf. Alicia keys. RCA, 2012. CD, digital download.
The element of freedom is the fourth album by Alicia keys, which saw her, take a detour from her regular style of music that everyone was used to. This album differs from its predecessors in the fact that this album generally has a mid tempo compared to the previous albums. The album also has a low-key sound, much lower than its predecessors. The album also features mostly ballads.
The album was released on December 2nd, 2009 by the recording label J records. Recording of the album took place in the period between May and September of 2009 mostly at Oven Studios, which is located in Long Island New York. The album had a measurable amount of success. It became Alicia keys’ first number one album in the United Kingdom though it did not reach similar proportions in the United States. The album also had tremendous financial success selling over 417,000 copies in just one week after it was released. The album made a debut at the number two position on the US billboard top two hundred charts. Within just one month of its release the element of freedom was certified platinum by none other than the recording industry association of America. To date the album has sold well over four million copies worldwide.
The first song in the album is titled ‘element of freedom’. This is basically an introduction of the album. It is brief and only lasts twelve seconds. The second song in the album is titled ‘love is blind’ and was co-written by Jeff Bhasker. The lyrical prowess of Alicia Keys is clearly brought out in this song. The third song in the album is titled ‘doesn’t mean anything.’ this song is the story of love and how it is the most important aspect in life. Everything in life comes second to having a loved one. The fourth song in the album is titled ‘try sleeping with a broken heart'. It tells the story of heartbreak and a woman desperately trying to move on from a man who hurt her, broke her heart.
‘Wait till you see my smile’ is the fifth song of the album. Alicia keys released this song as a single after the birth of her child perhaps alluding to the joy of parenthood. ‘That’s how strong my love is’ is the sixth song on the album. It talks about the strength and enduring nature of love. ‘I’m ready’ is the seventh song in the album. It talks of true devotion to live and readiness to commit to love.’ Love is my disease’ is the eighth song in the album and talks about love turning into a disease that many people suffer from. A pleasant one though. ‘Like the sea’ is the ninth song in the album and compares love to the vastness and beauty of the sea.
‘Put it in a love song ’is the tenth song in the album and features Beyoncé. In this song, both Alicia keys and Beyoncé showcase their lyrical prowess. The eleventh song in the album is titled ‘this bed’ and talks about love and bedroom affairs. The twelfth song is called ‘distance and time’ and talks of love enduring irrespective of the length of both distance and time. The thirteenth song is ‘how it feels to fly’ and likens the beauty of love to flying. The final song in the album is 'empire state of mind’. This song narrates Alicia key’s experiences in the city of New York. It also sheds light on how she feels about the city.
Works Cited
"ALICIA KEYS The Element Of Freedom.(Features)." Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, England) [Birmingham] 13 Dec. 2009, sec. 2: 4. Print.
