It may come as a surprise (or not?) to some, but Alicia Keys’ debut is one of the those “all time, important albums” to me. I remember the day I brought it (on a whim after seeing this beautiful girl, sitting next a piano, not even having heard her first single), I remember what the weather was like that day, I remember who I was with and I remember listening to it – entirely, on repeat – throughout my school years. A lot of teenage angst was gone through with this here album.
Songs in A Minor means a lot to me – not only was it sonically and lyrically sublime, but, at the time, it opened my ears to a lot of new (Soul) music. I could probably write a thesis on this album.
So, as you can imagine I am particularly excited about the upcoming 10 year anniversary celebrations she’s taking part in, including her dates at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In the run up to said celebrations, Keys’ will be putting out a documentary about Songs in A Minor featuring interviews with key people involved, including Clive Davis, her production partner Krucial Keys and her mother. The documentary will be included in a special 10 year anniversary CD package, which will also include new songs, reworked versions and various other exclusive content. Watch the trailer above to get a taste of what’s to come. I can’t wait.
P.s … And I still maintain, ‘Fallin” was one of the strongest, most impressive debut singles ever.
