Alicia was soul-deep to begin with, a virtuosic talent struggling to be heard, who then had to learn how to be an entertainer. Most everyone else in the game went the other way around: they started as mere entertainment, then dug deep so as not to be forgotten. To her credit, Keys has been deftly striking a balance between meaningful artistry and commercialism all along. Yet it’s a shame more people won’t have the chance to see, in her purest form, just how far her musicianship has risen. Of course, she’s fulfilled her promise and then some at this point. She struck me as nothing more than potential, armed with a great batch of songs - but I missed out on seeing her in-the-raw talent alone at the piano.
That piece, one in a series of accolades, left me thinking the old man was overhyping her like so many others were. I feel fortunate to have seen one of these autobiographical performances, for it’s an Alicia Keys encounter I’ve been longing to have since reading Robert Hilburn’s rave about her Roxy Theatre debut back in 2001. I pray she’s recording them, for it’s one of best things she’s ever done, more revealing and accomplished than her premature (yet enjoyable) Unplugged set in 2005. She played it in London, now Los Angeles, and next week takes it home to the Beacon Theatre in New York. The elegant program - Gothic yet warm, perfectly complementing the opulent Pantages by surrounding her custom-designed piano with more than a dozen flickering candelabras - is a special event timed to Tuesday’s release of deluxe and collector’s editions of that attention-grabbing debut. Thus, an experience like Friday’s stunning Piano & I creation, a portrait of the artist as she’s grown over the past decade, will probably always be the exception, never the rule.
What I regret is that a decade after breaking through with the new-millennium landmark Songs in A Minor (12 million worldwide and counting), so much of that sheen remains - not only does she favor expansive production, it’s expected of her. Same goes for virtually any other mega-star right now: Mariah, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Pink, especially Katy Perry (must we mention Britney?).īut Alicia’s different: she embodies her music from the inside out, and then the major-money gloss gets applied as needed. She’s still only a provocateur with (so far) a hollow core the music, though empowering, is still made to suit the statement, the design, the gimmick. Lady Gaga should be so lucky: she has the chops and voice to pull it off, and vision is a given, but she certainly doesn’t have the range or as much feel.
divas is capable of a one-woman show as riveting, insightful and masterfully executed as the tour de force performance she gave Friday night at the Pantages Theatre. Keys alone from the new breed of pop/soul/etc. Alicia, even in her most brazenly commercial moves, always seems to be trying to say something, while learning something about herself in the process. Her contemporaries always seem to be looking for the next hot hook or new way to broaden their Q factor and stay famous. Blige, the most genuinely soulful female exemplar in R&B. Whatever she does, live or on record, is certain to be a brainier cut above most anything attempting to measure up in the mainstream marketplace.Īlready a reliable chart-topping radio star, a red-carpet dazzler, an ardent humanitarian, a believable actress - and a mom - she’s now, apart from Mary J. She’s a video-enhanced urban-soul sensation whose name signifies sterling quality. She isn’t just a singer-songwriter savvy enough to be her own Carole King or Laura Nyro if she wanted. What I love - and sometimes regret - about Alicia Keys is that, at just 30, she already seems self-actualized: she’s become the total package that she (and every industry wag with eyes) always knew she could be.
See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.Alicia Keys turns in a tour de force at the Pantages – Orange County Register The video game instructions and box are included. The cover art and liner notes are included. No damage to the jewel case or item cover, no Very Good: An item that is used but still in very good condition.