4/5
Miss Keys.
"The talents of Alicia, my fault, Ms. Keys," Nelly rapped over The Neptunes whilst debating between Beyonce and Da Brat and Trina and Eve with Justin Timberlake and N-Sync over who would make the perfect 'Girlfriend' (but this is the remix...turns out it would be Ashanti). It's 2001. New York. The hottest Summer. Months before the towers tragically fell. It was a different time. It was a better one. More innocent, before all those lives lost. 'Life Was Good' like a Nas album would say almost a decade later. But this year like Busta Rhymes and Rampage the King of the streets of New York was on the remix of the biggest hits from the hottest new artist of our time, generation and millennium. Ever since we saw the braids, those eyes, and the fingers of Miss Keys tinkling over the ivory as her incredible, "I keep on falling in love with you" vocals came into play, we held on to every one of those words too. All the way to the 'Songs In A Minor' classic worked on from musical talents like Jermaine Dupri (to the Harlem shake of 'Girlfriend' with ODB samples because Wu Tang is for the children) and G. Flowers (whats up old friend?) that diamond became a worldwide classic that still unmistakably sounds like the streets of New York like Norah Jones 'Come Away With Me' (she has an album out too in the year of women in the uplifting 'Pick Me Up Off The Floor'). 'A Woman's Worth' matched all that as this woman's work was showing us the makings of a young legend like the 'Wuthering Heights' of Kate Bush. And like the 'Fire We Make' (what a New Orleans duet) of Maxwell covered her, like a 'Girl 6' Keys covered Prince like 'How Come You Don't Call Me No More'. Making this song what Sinead O'Connor did 'Nothing Compares 2 U' like a Bangles 'Manic Monday'. Alicia was everywhere like yellow cabs. Curating the Disney basketball movie, 'Glory Road' soundtrack like an amazing Spider-Man song with Kendrick Lamar and even getting her own 'MTV Unplugged' album like the Hov and neo soul greats in Nirvana. 'Satisfaction' like Eve. She just wanted to rock you and boy did she like a Rolling Stone cover. All before opening her 'Diary' to absolute classic entries like 'You Don't Know My Name', 'If I Ain't Got You', 'Karma' and an incredible Stevie Wonder 'Karmasticion' remix. The 'Superwoman' like 'No One' else gave a cape to all the girls and made it a big three like you'd never see her again 'As I Am', before returning like sleeping with a broken heart with 'The Element Of Freedom' and an 'Empire State Of Mind' NYC anthem as iconic as a Yankee cap. This 'Girl On Fire' with 'Another Way To Die' even did a Bond theme like Billie Eilish or Adele with White Stripe Jack White. But starting a beautiful 'Blended Family' with superproducer husband Swizz Beatz, it's been an Olympic four years since she like her last classic has been 'Here'. But now she's back like the 'Bigger Love' of John Legend this year with 'Conversations In The Dark', or the time both these pure, perfect pianists ivories married on the Kanye West G.O.O.D. produced 'You Don't Know My Name'. Never forget it.
The Grammys 2020. This was supposed to be the return of the roaring twenties like Gatsby, old sport. New decade, new rules like Tower Records. But then a helicopter crash took Kobe Bryant and his Mambacita GiGi amongst other families and the rest of our year followed this same solemn suit from the Black Mamba to the Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman. The black hero and biopic king of real life heroes like Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall and James Brown. As we all took to the streets to protest that Black Lives Matter following another 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police brutality that leant on the neck of George Floyd who like Eric Garner couldn't breathe. His life cruelly, evily and discriminatingly taken by those who are supposed to practice courtesy, professionalism and respect. Taken like Breonna Taylor in her own home and how many more? Whilst we still haven't arrested the cops. And we haven't even begun to talk about coronavirus and what COVID-19 has done to this terrible twenty, twenty. Or the notorious RBG. Where is the justice? Keys learnt about the late Laker legend during halftime at the Grammy's in Bean's house of STAPLES in what seemed like mere moments since his number 8 and 24 were raised to the rafters like, "Mamba out". Rallying together with Bryant's favourite Boyz II Men she lead a moving tribute and now in the toughest times of the worst year, 'Alicia' is here again as superwoman saves the day like "yes I can". Back in the year of 'Women In Music' like the Part III of Haim's greatest album. Taylor Swift's surprise 'Folklore' in lockdown. Lady Gaga's other world 'Chromatica'. Lianne La Havas' self-titled soul. A return to the Best Coast, or Phoebe Bridgers' 'Punisher'. Not to mention the legend Miss Jones, or what we're about to get from Lana Del Ray any day now. Asia's Aimyon and a South Korean Blackpink like KATIE. The world is changing and like God it is a woman. And for all the Ariana's and Adele's, there's still nobody like Alicia. Baring all on this burnt orange artwork of her new first name, self-titled album she reveals her naked truth. Right from the 'Truth Without Love' inspired intro that brings the purity of the piano back in all the keys of its soul. Before hopping into a 'Time Machine' like H.G. Wells or we all wish we could this year on this funky, futuristic cut telling us and "young life" that "flies out the window", "no we can't rewind, life ain't a time machine/But once you free your mind, there's beauty in everything." Now even if I ain't got you my boo, ain't that the truth?
'Authors Of Forever', "wherever you are it's alright", "whoever you are it's alright" she tells you on one of the most inspiring tracks by the shore for all you freedom writers like Hilary Swank's million dollar baby class. Whilst on 'Wasted Energy' there is none for the start of some classic collabos here for someone who has worked with everyone from Usher and Ludacris to John Mayer, beginning with a Diamond Platnumz star. "Why did you f### up the chemistry" she says on a track that does anything but, even if this probably won't be able to get much pre-watershed radio play. But that's OK. Alicia has already passed the 'Grey Whistle Test'. This 'Underdog' is now the top one over uplifting acoustics that show Keys isn't just all about the Steinway like Marhershala Ali in his Oscar winning 'Green Book'. Singing for the "hustlers trading at the bus stop, single mothers waiting on a check to come, young teachers, student doctors, sons on the frontline" for this call to embraced arms. "Rise up". Like the smooth sounds of a '3 Hour Drive' in the middle of the night with the soothing mid-note hour of Sampha's neon delivery on this journey giving life. All before Tierra Whack knocks it out the park with the 'Me X 7' dynamic duet that sounds fresh as a brand new day like this singers former single. But if you want a real collaboration and the best one since she lit a flame with Maxwell (when they were supposed to make a Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duets EP that we still want to see and hear like the vault of that Prince and Lenny Kravitz album in the sign o'these times) then how about the Spanish guitar, open-shirt atmosphere of the Miguel assisted 'Show Me Love'? The man who has blessed everything from 'Lost In Your Light' Dua Lipa records and 'Porcelain' Red Hot Chili Peppers covers sings, "yeah, I showed you love like it was passionate/I just wanna bask in it, winnin' it like a championship" as diving in like the Michael B. Jordan and Zoe Saldana video he crashes "like a deer inside of headlights". "Inside" of headlights people. 'So Done' it may have been almost a half decade since we last heard from Alicia aside fork the afrobeat of the stunning single 'In Common', but this Khalid assisted gem of a jam proves with a 'Free Spirit' this legacy making legend knows all about the future like an 'American Teen'. "Now you're falling for a person that's now even me" she sings however on the beautiful harmonies of 'Gramercy Park' offering mercy to a young love in bloom for this swiping generation who don't even know who they're liking anymore. 'Love Looks Better' when she's back behind the piano however for a traditional Alicia anthem. "All I ever, ever wanted was a dollar a chance" Keys sings for herself. A queen who took her chance and turned it into gold bars. All before this tinkling of the ivory begins to sound like an 'Empire State Of Mind' for the New Yorker on the Snoh Aalegra assisted 'You Save Me' which sounds as beautiful as the traditions of one of her timeless ballads. We had four years without this voice? Unthinkable! But like a Nas 'UBR (Unauthorised Biography Of Rakim) how about one neo soul star giving it up for another on 'Jill Scott'...featuring Miss Jill Scott herself? As in interlude to the most inspired beauty of 'Alicia' Jilly from Philly on her own titled song on this self-titled album says, "when you are righteously loving somebody/And that somebody is righteously loving you too/It's a vibration/That everybody everywhere/Can't help but receive/It's entrancing/It's a goodness/Luminousness/Victorious energy." But then some stirring strings of some beautiful violins give way to the 'Perfect Way To Die' and the powerful names on the street of all we lost video debuted on BET for all the Black Lives that Matter. Which is all the Black Lives for those ignorantly shouting, "all lives matter". "Simple walk to the corner store/Mama never thought she'd be getting a call from the coroner." What more can you say than that? Well, there's so much more we need to do right now and forever. Let's get to work. It's a 'Good Job' this album finishes on an inspiring note of "don't get too down, the world needs you now". For all "the mothers, the fathers, the teachers that reach us". "You're the engine that makes things go. Always in disguise my hero". Now fly! Away with the perfect reprise companion piece to this author of freedoms 'Journey' autobiography that began this year she's given us all hope for. More herself, this is 'Alicia'. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Love Looks Better', 'Jill Scott (Feat. Jill Scott),' 'Perfect Way To Die'.
No comments:
Post a Comment