By: ChartAttack.com Staff
by Sean K. Robb
It goes without saying in these celebrity-obsessed times
that one need not be talented in order to be famous. Nor does it seem that one
must even possess outstanding musical gifts or talents to enjoy a meteoric rise
to the top of the pop charts. A conspiracy of corporate money, media monopolies
and fashion fascism has created a system that can secure celebrity status for
even the most marginally talented – provided, of course, they have the boobs,
cheekbones or family connections to open the necessary doors.
(That’s right K-Fed – I’m calling you out! Bitch!)
And then there’s Alicia Keys.
A living, breathing tribute to the power of human genetics
to create incredible creatures, R&B singer/songwriter Alicia Keys is
phenomenal both on record and in person. Holding court before a small gathering
of journalists in the boardroom of a swank Toronto hotel to promote her new
album Unplugged, Keys revealed a personality as strong and as graceful as her
chops behind the piano.
Alicia Keys
Gliding in with a small, well-dressed entourage and looking
every part the beautiful, sensuous woman she appears on television, the 24
year-old Keys displays a poise, grace and charm that
could rival any beauty queen. But it’s not her beauty – or her considerable
charm – that makes Keys a true special case. That honour,
of course, is reserved for her music.
With Unplugged – a raucous and rollicking soul album that
deserves mention in any discussion of great “live” records, Keys revitalizes
MTV’s Unplugged brand – a staple of the 1990s – with a recording of a live
performance on July 14 thof this year at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music. For most young performers, the prospect of a 60+ minute live
performance being put to tape for posterity might be daunting. Not so for Keys.
"For me, this was taking everything back to my essence:
playing in smaller places, everything piano-based, and me cracking a few jokes
here and there. This was where I started — all this felt like I was going home.
It felt, and feels, wonderful.”
A throwback to the days when soul music meant more than
R&B sung over hip-hop beats, Unplugged reverberates with an honest-to-God
love for music – horn sections, string quartets and all. Though the record is
filled with hits from her first two studio records “Songs In
A Minor” and “The Diary of Alicia Keys,” it also features the joyous new
single “Unbreakable” as well as duets with rapper Common, reggae star Damian
Marley and Maroon 5 lead-singer Adam Levine on a cover of the Rolling Stones
classic “Wild Horses.”
And though Keys is thrilled with the results – that’s not to
say there weren’t disappointments. Efforts were made to bring in Rock and Roll
legends and Keys’ favourites Bruce “The Boss”
Springsteen and the Stones’ own Keith Richards – sadly, to no avail.
“Dammit!” she says, laughing “It's
so hard to pull schedules together, it really is. But what was great about the
whole thing was that both Keith and Bruce were very interested. To even try to
make that work with Bruce Springsteen and Keith Richards was a really big honour."
Even greater honours no doubt lie
ahead. Keys is scheduled to soon begin shooting her first film – she’ll play an
assassin along Ben “I’m Still Here” Affleck in the upcoming “Smoking Aces” –
and work has already begun preparing her next studio album.
"My music is definitely moving into a new
direction," she promises. "More raw, more
aggressive, more in your face. You can picture Joe Cocker and Janis Joplin --
very gorgeous, strong songs."
Such ambition, such talent.
Pretenders come and go – flashes in the proverbial pan. There’s no doubt
though, that Alicia Keys is for real. And true music fans – well, we’re luckier
for it.
11/30/05
Chart Communications
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