Alicia Keys

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Lore & Background

Alicia Keys' debut studio album *Songs in A Minor* was released on June 26, 2001, by J Records. It earned Keys five Grammy Awards at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), tying Keys with Lauryn Hill as the female artist with the most Grammy Awards won in a single ceremony. While on the *Songs in A Minor* Tour (2002), Keys began developing ideas for what would become *The Diary of Alicia Keys*. She conceived it as an intimate record and refrained from seeking collaborators out to contribute. Keys began writing songs as early as 2001, with 'If I Ain't Got You' being among the first—she felt inspired to write it on a flight after hearing the news of Aaliyah's death in a plane crash in August 2001. Recording sessions took place at Kampo Studio in New York City, KrucialKeys Studios, The Hit Factory, and Quad Recording Studios, among others. Keys equipped her recording locations with live instruments to capture the desired 1960s–1970s sound. The album's sole track not written by Keys is 'If I Was Your Woman'/'Walk on By', a vocal cover of Gladys Knight & the Pips' song against an instrumental sample from Isaac Hayes' 'Walk On By'.

In Their Own Story

The studio lights dimmed as Alicia Keys sat at a grand piano, her fingers hovering over the keys. She had heard the news of Aaliyah's death in a plane crash in August 2001 while on a flight, and the sentiment of being present in the moment inspired her to write 'If I Ain't Got You'—one of the first songs for what would become *The Diary of Alicia Keys*. Christina Aguilera asked Keys to write a song for her fourth studio album *Stripped* (2002), and Keys considered proffering 'If I Ain't Got You' to her, but was persuaded otherwise by J Records' then-executive vice president of A&R Peter Edge; Keys ultimately wrote 'Impossible' for Aguilera. Recording sessions for the album were interrupted by the August 14–16, 2003 Northeast blackout, which affected tracks like 'You Don't Know My Name' and 'If I Ain't Got You' at The Hit Factory. By the time the album reached completion in November 2003, Keys had already embarked on the album's promotional tour across Europe. 'Harlem's Nocturne', the final track recorded for the album, was recorded at Plus XXX in Paris and finished at The Hit Factory in New York, where the album was mastered by Herb Powers, Jr.

Reader's Guide

Alicia Keys' second studio album *The Diary of Alicia Keys* was released on November 21, 2003, by J Records. Almost entirely written and produced by Keys, the album is a concept album functioning as her auditory diary, primarily dealing with relationship complexities. Musically, it is predominantly a soul, R&B, contemporary classical, and hip-hop record. Keys eschewed the neo soul style of *Songs in A Minor* in favor of 1960s–1970s-influenced traditional soul. The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 618,000 units and became one of the best-selling albums of 2003 and 2004, both nationally and globally. It yielded four singles, three of which—'You Don't Know My Name', 'If I Ain't Got You', and 'Diary'—reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album earned Keys a second Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. By the release of its successor *As I Am* (2007), *The Diary of Alicia Keys* had sold over eight million copies worldwide. In 2020, it was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of five million in the US. In commemoration of its 20th anniversary, the album was reissued as *The Diary of Alicia Keys 20* in December 2023, and won a Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album.

Did You Know?

• Alicia Keys wrote 'If I Ain't Got You' on a flight after hearing the news of Aaliyah's death in a plane crash in August 2001.
• Christina Aguilera asked Keys to write a song for her album *Stripped* (2002); Keys considered giving her 'If I Ain't Got You' but was persuaded not to by J Records' A&R Peter Edge.
• The album's sole track not written by Keys is 'If I Was Your Woman'/'Walk on By', a cover of Gladys Knight & the Pips' song against a sample from Isaac Hayes' 'Walk On By'.
• Recording of tracks like 'You Don't Know My Name' and 'If I Ain't Got You' was interrupted by the August 14–16, 2003 Northeast blackout.
• The final track recorded for the album, 'Harlem's Nocturne', was recorded at Plus XXX in Paris and finished at The Hit Factory in New York.