Done a million times before, but still sounds fresh by Alicia. "Wake Up" is yet another highlight with Alicia displaying her vocals once more in an up-tempo track about relationship troubles. Alicia sings of the dragon days when the fire was hot, like a desert needing water, baby! Her soulful voice totally complements the song's mature mood. The gentle piano creeps in here and drops to offer superb lyrics "Just think of me as the pages in your diary." "Dragon Days" is one of the album's highlights.
Meanwhile, the gorgeously-melodic "Diary (Featuring Tony! Toni! Tone!)" is a definite album highlight. Alicia really sells the song and this is the second single. "If I Ain't Got You" displays Alicia's superb vocals perhaps better than on any other track. Obviously Alicia couldn't compete with her debut single "Fallin'" on her comeback single, so what does she do? She releases a six-minute, future-classic love ballad masterpiece with spine-tingling piano trickles and a full-on telephone section, remeniscent of Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You!" This is swiftly followed by "You Don't Know My Name," the album's lead single. "If I Was Your Woman/Walk On By" is a superb cover version which has been altered to suit Alicia's vocal range and musical style. Some may dislike it, but you gotta give the girl props for being creative. It's a new style for Alicia, and it works well.
"Heartburn" has a fantastic drum beat and strumming guitars with a sizzling beat and brilliant production. This swiftly moves into "Karma," a superbly beat-driven song that uses Alicia's vocals to the optimum. Even the song titles are beautiful, staring off with the intro "Harlem's Nocturne." This piano opening soon breaks out with a soulful beat in a similar vein to the intro on the album's predecessor. Everything about the album is incredibly mature and real. She has matured her style slightly with a superb collection of lush and dreamy soul-tinged, R'n'B influenced tracks that highlight and complement her remarkable vocals.
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On this sophomore effort, Alicia has avoided the frequent trap of crumbling under pressure on how to follow up a stunning debut. Alicia Keys could have easily fallen into the trap of an artist who took herself too seriously (the dramatic title of the album suggests this) but, thankfully, there is no need to worry The Diary Of Alicia Keys is another masterpiece. Such success, however, can cloud the illusions of those experiencing it, no matter how deserved it is. Amongst her entrance was the arrival of Nelly Furtado and Norah Jones, two equally talented super powers who enjoyed record sales beyond their wildest dreams and a following like no other. Since that infamous debut album, Alicia Keys has brought in a unique and shockingly mature dose of talent to the music industry.
Alicia has staying power, and this proved it. The album went straight to No.1 in its week of release shifting some 610,000 copies. Her debut album was ever so slightly overhyped which then made the follow-up, "The Diary Of Alicia Keys," ever so slightly over-anticipated upon its fall 2003 release. Alicia Keys arrived on the scene back in 2001 with her No.1, multi-platinum debut album "Songs In A Minor." The Grammy award winning album made Alicia a worldwide superstar and a true force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
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