By shelz.

Keys has arguably taken the title of queen of the female anthem from Mary J for the past few years.  There is something in the strength and conviction of her singles that has led chicks from coast to coast to recite the lyrics like they have their hands over their hearts.  However, with her latest album, The Element of Freedom, she has taken a pause from rallying her lady troops to give a more balanced portrayal of life, love and heartbreak. 

Of the album, Keys said she’s opening herself up.  There are new places and spaces she plans to tackle with this release.  She wants to show her vulnerability, the darker side of love, and that she had more facets as a singer/songwriter.  And she was more than successful in that attempt.  The Element of Freedom is a bit one note in its subject matter, dealing primarily with the good and bad of intimate connections.  However, she tackles it from a plethora of conceptual and sonic angles giving the album a full and beautiful feel.

The album begins with a short intro with which Keys communicates the point of the album, her desire to bloom as an artist.  It explains her experiments with sound and the better rounded stance she takes on relationships.  The album then moves astutely into its first piece that offers up a change in direction for the singer. “Love is Blind” is a slow smoky piece about loving someone no one wants you to.  Your friends scoff, your mom pleads, but you’re committed to the union because you see something they don’t. Or you possibly don’t see what they do.  Either way, it’s a grand opening.  Alicia’s voice has a computerized sheath over it that changes her timbre a bit, but it works.

Next are the two singles “Doesn’t Mean Anything” and “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart.” Both are about the one who got away and the pain associated with that period before you start picking up the pieces.  Alicia’s keys lay the backdrop for the former with a pounding drum and a sneaky bassline that lean back far enough to give the spotlight to her vocals. “…Broken Heart” sports a somewhat off kilter synthesized track that pays homage to 80’s pop production. Her voice climbs a bit above her range leaving her a little too breathy at points, but it works with the sorrowful lyrics. 

“Wait Til They See My Smile” is a pretty straightforward call to stand strong through the adversity normally linked to the toxic folks in your periphery. It’s one of those “fluck the haters” songs just disguised well.  Again the song leads with the keys only to build into a track that’s soft but dramatic and aptly finishes with your victory and the folks who thought you couldn’t succeed begging for some burn from you.  You have to feel that concept.  I do.

The album moves onto the overwhelming aspects of love.  “That’s How Strong My Love Is” finds Keys tinkering on the piano again as she explains the depth of her feelings for her special someone.  Elizabeth Barret Browning level love metaphors carry the lyrics and her love through jail bars and earthquakes, rising seas and barren deserts. It’s pretty serious stuff. “Love is My Disease,” is a true description of the obsession that can accompany love.  The Caribbean tinged track hosts Keys’ pleading vocals and speaks to some of the anxiety folks feel when they are away from their beloved.

Even though “Like the Sea” compares love to a strong current that can send you out to the middle of the ocean it is unfortunately one of the weaker songs on the album. As is the collaboration with Beyonce, “Put it In a Love Song.” Strange that their pairing didn’t produce something spectacular, but well…It didn’t. The only other collaborative effort, “Unthinkable” features Drake somewhere in the background.  If you blink, you’ll miss him. It’s still a slow burner though and definitely the sexiest song on the album.

The album closes with Alicia’s solo go at “Empire State of Mind.”  She removes the bass and the Hov for a softer version of the one spin every 6.5 second radio sensation.  It’s a beautiful edition and stands on its own even without the original.  Some may even like this version better.  She does get a bit pitchy here though.

Miss Keys has done it again.  This is probably not her best album, but it’s great nonetheless.  She takes some risks, works in some new sounds but manages to stay true to herself as she unveils a few things her audience didn’t know about her.  The production is diverse but still remains cohesive to the storyline. And even though Alicia doesn’t have the best pipes out there, she brings an incredible amount of emotion that works splendidly with her subject matter.
out of 5

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FUSE TO AIR EXCLUSIVE BROADCAST PREMIERE OF “AMERICAN EXPRESS PRESENTS: ALICIA KEYS”  

 Benefit Concert to Air Tuesday, December 15 at 10pm ET, the Same Day

Alicia Keys’ New Album “The Element of Freedom” Is Released

New York, NY (December 9, 2009) – Twelve-time Grammy Award winning musician, Alicia Keys’ World AIDS Day benefit concert “One Night. One Voice. One Life at a Time.” from New York’s Nokia Theater, will air on Fuse, Madison Square Garden’s national music television network, as a one-hour exclusive broadcast premiere on Tuesday, December 15^th at 10pm ET. “American Express Presents: Alicia Keys” will celebrate the release of her fifth studio album, The Element of Freedom.

 American Express donated all ticket proceeds from the December 1^st concert to Keep a Child Alive, the organization that Alicia co-founded with Leigh Blake to raise funds and awareness for children and families in Africa and India affected by HIV/AIDS.  Fuse’s broadcast will include highlights from the sold out benefit concert which includes JAY-Z joining Keys on stage for their hit duet “Empire State of Mind.”  The special will also feature Keys performing her hits “Fallin” and “No One,” as well as new songs from her latest album including current single “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart.”                                          

Alicia Keys’ fifth studio album, The Element of Freedom, is scheduled to be released on MBK Entertainment/J Records on December 15^th, the same day her concert airs on Fuse.  In addition to Keys’ latest singles, “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart” and “Doesn’t Mean Anything,” The Element of Freedom also features her solo version of “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” as well as a beat-driven duet with Beyoncé on “Put It In A Love Song.”

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