What's the appeal of Alicia Keys?

[usmarin3]

Mozart? Chopin? Beethoven? again...wtf are you talkin about?

Those are great classically trained pianist, comparing A Keys to them is like comparing John Mayer to Jimi Hendrix. What A Keys does is rudamentary compared to the complex pieces these dudes composed.

 

[usmarin3]

You still haven't explained how her actually being a pianist is a gimmick. I haven't even said anything about her skills on the keys nor her being ground breaking.

How is his guitar not a gimmick if AK's piano is? Or let's take Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine. Is his guitar a gimmick or no? If so, why? They're musicians.

It's a gimmick because alot of the times she is playing the piano on stage when she isn't even needed for the fucking track. Look at the Empire State of Mind mtv performance, that chick didn't need to play the piano. She doesn't even need to play it for Try sleeping with a broken heart or My Boo. She is so quick to run behind the piano.

I bet she could make a song with Dougie Fresh over a beatbox and she would run to the piano.

The guitar is not a gimmick because Tom Morello is a guitarist and not the lead singer of Rage, Zack is. You don't see Jimi with back up track playing like A Keys.

 

[Punisher__]

Do you understand what groundbreaking means, it means bringing something new to the artform that's never been done before. Say what you wan't about Beyonce or Lady Gaga but atleast their focals and stage presence is better than A Keys. Everything you just name has nothing to do with raw talent, yall are giving her a pass just because she is the anti pop artists. Lady Gaga can play the piano but you don't see her using it as a crutch, if you ask me A Keys is one dimensional as hell.

If groundbreaking means bringing something new to the artform, then I don't think any contemporary artist is groundbreaking. Everything being done now, has already been done before. Lady GaGa has borrowed from Madonna and Gwen. Beyonce has borrowed from Tina and Diana. And the list goes on. It's certainly not just Alicia. In today's market, being groundbreaking can simply mean just standing a part from your contemporaries/peers. And Alicia succeeds at that, by leaps and bounds.

Alicia doesn't have to create some new sound or some shit like that to be considered groundbreaking. In an era marked by booty shakers and c-list sex symbols, Alicia stands alone as her own artist, with her own vision, and does shit her way. That has to be respected.

 

[supern0va_]

Those are great classically trained pianist, comparing A Keys to them is like comparing John Mayer to Jimi Hendrix. What A Keys does is rudamentary compared to the complex pieces these dudes composed.

yeah but who is comparing her to them? obviously she will never be as great as them, but she plays well. i don't know why you're trying to be so negative. I don't think many people want an Alicia Keys album with her playing like Beethoven, etc. sure she plays the piano with most of her songs, but SO WHAT? There are THOUSANDS of other artists who play other instruments or don't at all during their performances so you don't have to like/listen/watch Alicia.

 

[usmarin3]

If groundbreaking means bringing something new to the artform, then I don't think any contemporary artist is groundbreaking. Everything being done now, has already been done before. Lady GaGa has borrowed from Madonna and Gwen. Beyonce has borrowed from Tina and Diana. And the list goes on. It's certainly not just Alicia. In today's market, being groundbreaking can simply mean just standing a part from your contemporaries/peers. And Alicia succeeds at that, by leaps and bounds.

Alicia doesn't have to create some new sound or some shit like that to be considered groundbreaking. In an era marked by booty shakers and c-list sex symbols, Alicia stands alone as her own artist, with her own vision, and does shit her way. That has to be respected.

Everything you just said is what irks me, she is not famous for her raw talent per se (singing and performing) but more known for being anti pop and different than what's out there. Is she a better singer than Beyonce, Keysha Cole, Lady Gaga,etc; hell no. It's as if people look over her mediocre voice and redundant sounding albums for the fact that she pushes this mother earth image (wise, classy, well spoken, i am every woman). Since when has being a pop artist per se (alicia is pop too) have a negative conotation to it like anything those artist are doing is less than what A Keys is doing, talent is talent period.

 

[usmarin3]

Jimi hendrix was an average guitar player

Yeah and so is Eric Clapton. smh

 

[focus]

It her looks.

Mediocre singer.

Mediocre piano player.

Mediocre albums.

 

[arbitration]

Does anyone else think Alicia damaged her voice at some point in the early 2000's? I remember in "Fallin" she hit that insane high note, but perhaps singing the song at live shows strained her vocal chords to the point where she can't do it anymore. Can anyone point to a recent song where she demonstrated the same range she had when she first came out?

Either way, Alicia >> most out right now.

 

[makaveli4ever]

Alicia usually performs well live. She just had a bad performance last night. I think she actually makes good music. Her first few albums are classics. I dotn think her voice is average.

 

[Still Cool Beans]

^^Classic is a bit much IMO but her first two albums were definitely great albums. Third and fourth...just okay. I dig Alicia though.

 

[dr. zero_ahh]

Pre-2005, Alicia Keys was actually one of the more talented R&B singers. Before 2005, she was knowledgeable of the concept of voice range and harmony, which is why her first two albums were so great in addition to her lyrics and soulful style. Also, it seems like she put her entire soul, creativity, etc. into her first two albums. Stop me if this sounds familiar now Marine. The third album didn't quite live up to the first two, but was still at best decent and the fourth was well...below average considering the high standards she set with her first two albums. Alicia Keys is the Nas of R&B and I look for her to come out with her Stillmatic (that's if Swizz didn't fuck all the creativity and soul out of her). Beyonce has a big voice, but does nothing with it. Keyshia Cole cannot sing at all. She's terrible.

 

[usmarin3]

Pre-2005, Alicia Keys was actually one of the more talented R&B singers. Before 2005, she was knowledgeable of the concept of voice range and harmony, which is why her first two albums were so great in addition to her lyrics and soulful style. Also, it seems like she put her entire soul, creativity, etc. into her first two albums. Stop me if this sounds familiar now Marine. The third album didn't quite live up to the first two, but was still at best decent and the fourth was well...below average considering the high standards she set with her first two albums. Alicia Keys is the Nas of R&B and I look for her to come out with her Stillmatic (that's if Swizz didn't fuck all the creativity and soul out of her). Beyonce has a big voice, but does nothing with it. Keyshia Cole cannot sing at all. She's terrible.

I was gonna draw the same comparison but i didn't want to go there.

 

[Punisher__]

Everything you just said is what irks me, she is not famous for her raw talent per se (singing and performing) but more known for being anti pop and different than what's out there. Is she a better singer than Beyonce, Keysha Cole, Lady Gaga,etc; hell no. It's as if people look over her mediocre voice and redundant sounding albums for the fact that she pushes this mother earth image (wise, classy, well spoken, i am every woman). Since when has being a pop artist per se (alicia is pop too) have a negative conotation to it like anything those artist are doing is less than what A Keys is doing, talent is talent period.

Beyonce isn't famous for her raw talent, either. Neither is Lady GaGa. Keyshia Cole surely isn't, either, because she doesn't have any.

Being a pop star doesn't have a negative connotation. Being a stripper does, though. If someone like Beyonce stopped acting like she was an extra in The Player's Club and made music with a little more substance, and not this pop fluff, I think people would respect her more.

 

[usmarin3]

Beyonce isn't famous for her raw talent, either. Neither is Lady GaGa. Keyshia Cole surely isn't, either, because she doesn't have any.

Being a pop star doesn't have a negative connotation. Being a stripper does, though. If someone like Beyonce stopped acting like she was an extra in The Player's Club and made music with a little more substance, and not this pop fluff, I think people would respect her more.

First of all all those ladies voices are way better than A Keys period, and what beyonce is doing is no different than what Tina Turner,Madonna,Dianna Ross,etc did. Lets not act like they were doing gospel and wearing saris, they used their sexuality and blended it with their talent too. Substance is a relative term too, you're acting like Beyonce is making music that say "come and fuck me", the shit is on par with any song Janet Jackson did; she is just the alpha female right now and people criticize her for shit that other artist do or did.

 

[Punisher__]

First of all all those ladies voices are way better than A Keys period, and what beyonce is doing is no different than what Tina Turner,Madonna,Dianna Ross,etc did. Lets not act like they were doing gospel and wearing saris, they used their sexuality and blended it with their talent too. Substance is a relative term too, you're acting like Beyonce is making music that say "come and fuck me", the shit is on par with any song Janet Jackson did; she is just the alpha female right now and people criticize her for shit that other artist do or did.

Have you listened to Rhythm Nation 1814? Or The Velvet Rope? Janet has more socially conscious lyrics on one album than Beyonce has had in her 10 year+ career.
Same with Madonna. Have you heard Ray of Light? Or Like a Prayer?

A great portion of Beyonce's catalog is pop fluff. Dreck. Most of which she doesn't even write, BTW. I have never seen one artist's contribution to their own material be questioned as much as Beyonce's.

And Keyshia Cole can't sing worth a lick. That girl is seriously tone deaf.

 

[usmarin3]

Have you listened to Rhythm Nation 1814? Or The Velvet Rope? Janet has more socially conscious lyrics on one album than Beyonce has had in her 10 year+ career.

Same with Madonna. Have you heard Ray of Light? Or Like a Prayer?

A great portion of Beyonce's catalog is pop fluff. Dreck. Most of which she doesn't even write, BTW. I have never seen one artist's contribution to their own material be questioned as much as Beyonce's.

And Keyshia Cole can't sing worth a lick. That girl is seriously tone deaf.

Yes i have, and Janet Jackson is one of the most sexual artist ever; i don't know what the fuck you've been listening to and same for Madonna. lol at you calling the Velvet Rope conscious, that album is sexual as fuck and same for Madonna, every now and then they will push the envelope but that wasn't until later on in their careers; Beyonce is only 3 albums deep. People need to stop acting her whole albums is on some Single Ladies shit too because it's not, she has songs with substance (flaws and all, etc) but because she doesn't push that bs Winnie Mandella image people pigeonhole her. Yall wouldn't judge Marvin Gaye based off of songs like Sexual Healing, Lets get it on, and say all he was is a sexual artist; there is more to the artist if you go beyond the singles.

A great majority of Janet, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carrey, Diana "disco" Ross,etc shit is pop stuff too if you're gonna paint all artist with a broad stroke.

 

[Punisher__]

Yes i have, and Janet Jackson is one of the most sexual artist ever; i don't know what the fuck you've been listening to and same for Madonna. lol at you calling the Velvet Rope conscious, that album is sexual as fuck and same for Madonna, every now and then they will push the envelope but that wasn't until later on in their careers; Beyonce is only 3 albums deep. People need to stop acting her whole albums is on some Single Ladies shit too because it's not, she has songs with substance (flaws and all, etc) but because she doesn't push that bs Winnie Mandella image people pigeonhole her. Yall wouldn't judge Marvin Gaye based off of songs like Sexual Healing, Lets get it on, and say all he was is a sexual artist; there is more to the artist if you go beyond the singles.

A great majority of Janet, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carrey, Diana "disco" Ross,etc shit is pop stuff too if you're gonna paint all artist with a broad stroke.

So you haven't heard Rhythm Nation 1814 and Like a Prayer? And you obviously haven't heard Ray of Light, because there was absolutely NOTHING sexual about that album.

When you listen to those albums, then you can speak on it.

 

[usmarin3]

So you haven't heard Rhythm Nation 1814 and Like a Prayer? And you obviously haven't heard Ray of Light, because there was absolutely NOTHING sexual about that album.

When you listen to those albums, then you can speak on it.

Yes, i have Rhytmn Nation album amongst many other Janet albums and heard Like a Prayer, I have heard Ray of Light too (Frozen is a dope song and video). I listen to all types of music, the point i was making is stop being a hypocrite and pigeonholing certain artist to a certain songs/music and letting other artist get away with the same shit. As for that other shit, I have all those albums and you're the one who don't know what the fuck what youre talking about mentioning Velvet Rope as socially conscious when it's probably Janets most sexual album ever.

 

[Punisher__]

Yes, i have Rhytmn Nation album amongst many other Janet albums and heard Like a Prayer, I have heard Ray of Light too (Frozen is a dope song and video). I listen to all types of music, the point i was making is stop being a hypocrite and pigeonholing certain artist to a certain songs/music and letting other artist get away with the same shit. As for that other shit, I have all those albums and you're the one who don't know what the fuck what youre talking about mentioning Velvet Rope as socially conscious when it's probably Janets most sexual album ever.

Who is being a hypocrite? I said, emphatically, that Janet has more socially conscious songs than Beyonce. That's a fact. Madonna has more socially conscious songs than Beyonce. That is also a fact. And the likes of Janet and Madonna weren't "later in their careers" when they started to convey more deep thought into their music. We're talking early in their careers when they took that change of direction.

You're acting as if the likes of Janet and Madonna are all hype/sex, with very little substance. And that's false. Beyonce, on the other hand, is all hype/sex, with very little substance.

So where's the hypocrisy?

 

[usmarin3]

Who is being a hypocrite? I said, emphatically, that Janet has more socially conscious songs than Beyonce. That's a fact. Madonna has more socially conscious songs than Beyonce. That is also a fact. And the likes of Janet and Madonna weren't "later in their careers" when they started to convey more deep thought into their music. We're talking early in their careers when they took that change of direction.

You're acting as if the likes of Janet and Madonna are all hype/sex, with very little substance. And that's false. Beyonce, on the other hand, is all hype/sex, with very little substance.

So where's the hypocrisy?

Lol I never said they were, don't give me that circular argument bullshit. I said if Beyonce is all that then so are those artist, since people want to pigeonhole Beyonce to those things. Stay on topic and stop tryna twist shit around to make you're point. As far as Madonna and Janet, it wasn't until their fourth album when they made Rhytmn Nation and Like a Prayer, Beyonces next album will be her fourth.