Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

As I Am

(J Records)

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As I Am never answers “the critical question of exactly what—or rather, who”—Alicia Keys is, said J. Freedom du Lac in The Washington Post. The album aims for a Janis Joplin–meets–Aretha Franklin feel, but Keys often fails to give the powerful, impassioned performances those women always could. The 27-year-old seems stuck somewhere between the glossy, spirited harmonies of Motown and the dozy, synthesized sounds of adult contemporary pop. Songs “fall flat, done in by limp production and ill-conceived arrangements.” Yet the songwriting at the core remains as strong as ever, said Nate Chinen in The New York Times. Keys has shown a talent for “reaching toward emotional truths” with her writing, and she remains devoted to the same themes of love, self-respect, and life lessons as in the past. Keys excels at “creating anthems for the rest of us,” said Glenn Gamboa in Newsday. She has sold more than 25 million records and won five Grammys, but you “still feel the need to root for her.” On “Lesson Learned,” she sings, “I was burned, but I call it a lesson learned,” as backup singers reassure her, “It’s all right.” With this third album, she shows a new maturity. “If Songs in A Minor was Keys’ introduction to the world and The Diary of Alicia Keys was her transition to adulthood,” As I Am marks her as an enduring presence in popular music.