For today’s Music Monday, we have another artist that is older than me. Yay! Alicia Augello Cook, better known as Alicia Keys [wiki], was born on January 25, 1981. At 20 years old, in 2001, she released her famous album Songs In A Minor [wiki], which featured her lovely hit song Fallin’ [YouTube]. I think it’s rather clever how she references herself in the music video to Fallin’ by having her song Girlfriend play in the radio at the beginning, then she references Fallin’ in her video to A Woman’s Worth [YouTube] by walking down the street in the video singing along to it while listening to it over her headphones.
Songs In A Minor ended up selling millions and millions of copies and was unbelievably successful, which is particularly interesting because it was different from the mainstream, kind of refreshing in its emphasis on R&B and the piano as the instrument of her choice, and according to Wikipedia, the record label didn’t see this as particularly desirable:
“Before she joined J Records, Keys had signed a recording contract with Sony‘s Columbia Records. Sony felt that Keys should sing more mainstream-accessible material written by others, while she insisted upon recording her own compositions. As a result, Keys’ recording career remained in limbo for two years.” [source]
Apparently, Alicia Keys has been doing numerous things since Songs In A Minor – albums, recordings, movies [imdb] – but in December 2009 she released a new album, The Element Of Freedom, which has at least two really impressive songs: Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready) [YouTube] and Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart. There is also a collaboration with Beyoncé on the song Put It In A Love Song, but I find the song tries too hard to be Single Ladies [YouTube – admittedly catchy], and anyway, I have lost all my respect for Beyoncé since I’ve seen the video to Video Phone [you could watch it on YouTube, but please, don’t].
So here is Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart. I like how it starts all dark and gloomy, and then her voice comes in very softly and sweet, singing of heartbreak and so forth. Check it out for yourself:
Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart by Alicia Keys
Even if you were a million miles away
I could still feel you in my bed
Near me, touch me, feel me
And even at the bottom of the sea
I could still hear inside my head
Tellin’ me, touch me, feel meAnd all the time you were tellin’ me lies
So tonight, I’m gonna find a way to make it without you
Tonight I’m gonna find a way to make it without you
I’m gonna hold on to the times that we had tonight
I’m gonna find a way to make it without youHave you ever tried sleeping with a broken heart?
Well, you could try sleeping in my bed
Lonely, own me nobody ever shut it down like you
You wore the crown
You made my body feel heaven bound
Why don’t you hold me
Near me, I thought you told me
You’d never leave meLooking in the sky I could see your face
And I know right where I fit in
Take me, make me
you know that I’ll always be in love with you
Right til the endSo tonight, I’m gonna find a way to make it without you
Tonight I’m gonna find a way to make it without you
I’m gonna hold on to the times that we had tonight
I’m gonna find a way to make it without youAnybody could’ve told you right from the start
It’s about to fall apart
So rather than hold on to a broken dream
Or just hold on to loveAnd I could find a way to make it
Don’t hold on too tight
I’ll make it without you tonightSo tonight, I’m gonna find a way to make it without you
Tonight I’m gonna find a way to make it without you
I’m gonna hold on to the times that we had tonight
I’m gonna find a way to make it without you
[Lyrics from elyricsworld.com, with minor adjustments]
Lovely, isn’t it? Feel free to comment!
