Album- Girl On Fire
Artist- Alicia Keys
Grammy winning artist Alicia Keys is arguably one of the
finest RnB vocal performers of today’s generation, as she really knows how to
make strong down tempo tunes that cut you to the core and can also have a quite
inspiring edge. She also knows not only how to really use her voice but also
how to just give a smooth performance that oozes class. With this fifth studio
album, she aims to once again have a slice of the musical world that she can
quite easily dominate. Yet is this fifth studio album actually better than
previous efforts? Or is this a sign that
Keys could do with a little bit of a reinvention.
Track 1- De Novo
Adagio (Intro)
Opening with a short intro allows Keys to present us with
her classical musical training as she provides us with a small slice of soft,
quiet piano instrumentation that gives a sweet start to the record and signals
that the record as a whole has a powerful flavour.
3/5
Track 2- Brand New Me
A pop piano ballad, this beginning track is a powerful
collaboration with current girl of the moment Emeli Sande, who had already
collaborated with Keys on her own studio album. We find Key’s in a mode that
seems very familiar in terms of its stripped back tone and powerful vocal
performance, a sound that has pretty much become a signature part of who we see
Key’s is as an artist. However, the song is also a more potent affair as it has
an extremely grown up and retrospective tone. Lyrically the track is indeed
about growing and evolving, with Key’s speaking of this brand new version of
herself and how it has taken time to get to this stage but she is now free from
others control. The lyrics have a potent quality that is succinctly emphasised
in the line “don’t be mad, it’s just a brand new kind of me”, a line that can
really hit home and has a very memorable quality. Vocally Key’s employs a kind
of breathless tone in the track that is light and draws a nice line between
this essence of fragility and this pillar of strength that Key’s is, with the
bridge definitely being the most attention grabbing part as Key’s goes into the
higher reaches of her vocals and really gives a kick to the track. This
contrast with the bridge and the other sections of the track make it a strong
listen, and the production also does this, keeping things simple with a piano
melody for the most part, but adding some subtle electro type undertones in
places and a powerful drum back beat in the bridge that makes for a great sense
of closure at the tracks end. A strong opener.
3.5/5
Track 3- When It’s
All Over
As the former track had this growing theme about it, it
seems right to pair it with this track in terms of the song order, as this is
another song that seems to utilise the idea of growing in terms of its closure
theme. The track finds Keys singing of her happiness that she has these
memories of this man and her acceptance that it is over, with her just being
grateful that her and this man got to feel love for each other. It’s a quite
heartfelt statement that has a powerful sense of maturity and which is strong in
terms of the catchy quality of the statement “at least I got to love you”. The
track could easily have been a more stripped back song that acts like a ballad,
but luckily Keys offers us variation in sound that is still appealing and shows
she has different strengths as an artist. The track features a cool mix of
genres with the clunky piano melodies, simple drum beats, accordion like tones
and electro tones that are really powerful, and makes for a soulful, RnB driven
track that has a nice mid to up tempo sound. Vocally Keys is strong, with the
lyrical stresses showing sincerity in her words. The final section in which she
talks with her young child Egypt is a sweet and tender moment that is perhaps a
little strange but emphasises that this is a woman who has grown up and has
moved on, and she has a new love in her life.
3.5/5
Track 4- Listen to
Your Heart
Keeping in line with the previous track in terms of not
keeping her sound too familiar, this track has more of a prominent, electro pop
tinged essence in the production, courtesy of co-producer Rodney Jerkins. The
track still employs some piano melodies, but the electronic base and RnB tinged
backbeat is the centre of the tracks sound and gives RnB lightness to the
track. The production just gives a really chilled sound to the track that helps
to enhance the smoothness of Keys vocal performance, which features a nice
lilting tone and some good vocal layering to add to the purity of the track.
Yet whilst the track is strong in terms of production and vocals, the lyrical
content is one of Key’s weaker moments. As she tells us to listen to our hearts
even if it is difficult, she centres the track around a nice hook, but it is
just too repetitive, and the message also doesn’t have that unique quality that
permeates some of Key’s other work. It also kind of feels as if this is a song
that she couldn’t quite flesh out, and so has just kept on the record in a semi
unfinished state.
3/5
Track 5- New Day
Keys completely shows a transition in sound for this very upbeat
number that almost feels like an extension of the happiness of her Jay Z
collaboration “Empire State of Mind”. Produced by Key’s husband Swizz Beatz,
the track has a powerfully light and up-tempo energy with “rat- a- tat” drums
and beats that have a back and forth feel, creating a great contemporary RnB
song that feels very fresh sounding alongside the other tracks and features a
cool mix of house and reggae influences. Vocally Key’s keeps quite a simple
tone within the track, still showing a little power but really letting the
production and heavy bass do the work, with the final section being a real
powerful moment in terms of the small kind of breakdown that Beatz employ’s.
Lyrically we find Key’s in her inspiring mode as she tells party people to say
“ehhhh”, as it is a new day with new possibilities, and the track largely just
focuses following your dreams and not letting people stop you. It may not be
the most original concept, but when paired with such a forceful sound and
pleasant vocals, we can easily get attached to the message, and the hook is
something that is indeed catchy.
3.5/5
Track 6- Girl on Fire
(Inferno Version) (featuring Nicki Minaj)
The records lead single is a powerful, statement driven
piece that features on this record in its remixed form. The difference between
the original and this new form is the presence of female rap super star Nicki
Minaj, who provides two rap verses, one at the tracks beginning and one during
the tracks bridge. Lyrically the song is a female empowerment anthem in which
Key’s embodies woman the world over in singing their praises and hard work,
centred around the strong hook of “This girl is on fire”. It’s a strong lyrical
concept that is really given gravitas and a powerfully catchy quality though
the strong and passionate vocal of Keys, who gives the track this innate sense
of strength that is quite inspiring and makes for a really great track. The
production really works in terms of keeping things quite simple its heavy but
simple drum beat that gives a great RnB tone to the track and just makes things
that bit more powerful. Minaj’s feature on the remixed version adds a nice hip
hop vitality to the track and works in both elevating the message and providing
a different spin in terms of Minaj playing this role of a woman ignoring the
hateful people and thanking those who have helped her.
4/5
Track 7- Fire We Make
(duet with Maxwell)
Soulful and sensual Alicia comes out to plays full force in
this duet that is all about making a fire that isn’t an actual fire but rather
a metaphorical one that is highly built upon sexual desire. The songs lyrical
content is all about how the two singers can’t stay away from each other and
just have this strong passion when they are together. Both singers bring a powerful
quality to the track in their smooth and sensually rich vocal performances,
with the harmonies being really seamless, and Maxwell is great in terms of the
falsetto performance that he employs that is very attention grabbing. The
chemistry between the two singers is really palpable and acts as the main
component of the track, with the way the two singers can keep the chemistry
going being quite amazing. The finger snapping beats and simple bass of the
production is so catchy and smooth that you can’t help but love the song, with
the electric guitar solo at the end being a powerful slice of music that acts
as the perfect kind of epic end to a really strong track.
4/5
Track 8- Tears Always
Win
With a title such as “Tears Always Win”, I easily expected this
track to be one of those Key’s tunes that was really stripped down and her
traditional sound. Yet whilst the piano melody that exists within much of her
music is still there, the track has much more of a stronger, mid tempo energy
with quite soulful and strong production and almost reggae kind of groove,
perhaps due to the input of musical artist Bruno Mars. Lyrically the song finds
Key sin a powerful emotional state as she sings about how she is without her
beau and is very upset by her loneliness, with her time in bed always being
driven by tears. It’s a potent and relatble lyrical message that is backed by a
strong and catchy chorus that is also made even more catchy by the gospel
influence of the track in terms of the smooth background vocals. Key’s is so
strong vocally within this track withoutb having to really show how powerful
her vpoice is in terms of ad libs. And the production is really nice, giving a
chilled rhythm with the clunky piano melody and the heavy bass drum that is
refreshing in the record and gives a nice swaying sort of vibe to the track
that can appeal to a range of people.
3.5/5
Track 9- Not Even the
King
Another Emeli Sande
collaboration, the ninth track is a powerful piano ballad that has a universal
and inspiring message, which is seemingly a motif of both singers work. The
song finds Keys singing about money and material things, with a good wealth
versus less good wealth mentality as Keys sings about having wealth that is
more important than other things. The two artists bring a really poetic touch
to the lyrical content, and in keeping the production simple with just the
piano, we really are able to see the message come through. Keys is so smooth
vocally and has a warmth to her tone that makes this track feel very heartfelt
and sincere, and shows how great Keys is an artist when you strip her back to
such a basic level.
3.5/5
Track 10- That’s When
I Knew
Keeping with the quite stripped back tone and down tempo
energy of the previous track, this simple number is a sweet love song that can
be seen to show Key’s feelings towards her husband Swizz Beatz. This is because
the lyrics of the song find Key’s singing of this moment when she knew she was
in love and this man was so special in her life, with the bridge focusing upon
how you just cannot escape that feeling. It is a very sweet concept that is
given gravitas by the light vocal performance that Key’s gives within the song,
with her vocal performance building with every note towards a really powerful
end, with ad libs worthy of the best pop divas. Production wise it’s another
stripped back in tone sound with simple guitar melodies and a light, steady
drum beat that keeps us and Keys chilled and really invested in what she is
singing.
3.5/5
Track 11- Limitedless
Whereas the last tracks were more stripped back and simple,
this track has much more of a powerful RnB sound with heavy production and a
commanding vocal. The song finds Key’s still in that I am so in love state that
the latter song had, as she lyrically conveys this message of how there is no
limit to the love that she feels for her man. The message is a little
repetitive but is given a soulful/reggae vibe that feels summery in terms of
the light vocal tone and elements of vocal layering that make for a quite
catchy tune. And the production is strong in terms of the blending of the
steady bass with guitar riffs that are quite powerful in a way and give a rock
flair to the track, adding that touch of diversity to the record that is really
welcome.
3/5
Track 12- One Thing
Keys takes it down to a steady level for this track that
finds her dipping between quite a soft but deep vocal level to a strong but
fragile falsetto that makes for a catchy contrast within the song. The lyrics
of the track find the singer focusing upon how there is this one thing that
cant save the relationship but which she kind of believes in, despite the
turmoil that seemingly permeates the relationship. It feels a little too
familiar in terms of the heartbreak, and although the vocals are really strong,
the production is a little bland with its simple drumbeat and guitar melody,
and so you are kind of wishing the record to end at this point.
3/5
Track 13- 101
The final track and final collaboration with Sande is
another piano led song that finds Key’s in a very familiar kind of mood in
which she aims to be a universal artist. However the track is more potent than
the previous message in terms of the way that the song has this darker edge and
is more subdued but still powerful vocally. The song is all about Key’s singing
about this guy who is bad and who has done all these things like a 100 times,
with Key’s playing the role of girl 101. It’s a nice change of pace that is
given gravitas by the way the track builds vocally into the chorus and has a
cool echoing effect that is very intriguing. The piano melody also is more
subdued and more powerful because of this, in its own way building to make the
finish even more powerful. The hidden outro is at first another classical music
piece that is built in strings and piano, but then makes way for a much more
gospel led energy with a booming bass and the continual singing of the word
“hallelujah” that makes for a powerful and dramatic end.
3.5/5
Final Review
Key’s is definitely a great singer and a great artist in
terms of how she knows how to use her voice to great effect and knows exactly
who she wants to be as an artist. The record as a whole is quite strong with a
cohesive feel, some great collaboration’s and potent lyrical qualities. The
record suffers a bit at the end as the sound is too familiar and you can become
bored, but otherwise the singer creates a good album that shows that she still
has more to give in the music world.
7/10
Best Track- Girl On
Fire (Inferno Version) (featuring Nicki Minaj)
Worst Track- One
Thing
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