As I Am

Grammy winning singer/songwriter, poet, philanthropist and visionary Alicia Keys proceeds to outdo herself with AS I AM, her third and finest album, to date. This 2007 release showcases her range as a musician. Keys is a classically-trained pianist, as well as being a true soul/r&b artist, and the album kicks off on a beautiful note with her original song "As I Am (Intro)," a classical piece. From there, we hear the influences and inspirations that guide this great musician to combine her poetry and eloquence as a lyricist with her flare for hooks and ear-catching instrumental (with a little help from her friends). Some of the best cuts include "Superwoman," (co-written with Linda Perry and Steve Mostyn), an anthem for strong women everywhere and an ear-catching chorus that will get you singing along, the beautiful, reggae-inspired "No One" (co-written with Kerry Brothers, Jr. and George M. Harry), the first single from the album and "Wreckless Love" (co-written with Matthew Kahane and Harold Lilly) which sounds like a throwback to the Motown soul era of the 1960s. On another note, Alicia Keys' voice has never sounded better. It's deeper and raspier, but, that only adds flavor to her delivery of the more poignant pieces (particularly, "Tell You Something (Nana's Reprise)"). This young woman has been blessed with many talents and we are lucky and privileged that she is sharing them with the world.

This is truly superb. I love "Songs In A Minor" & "The Diary Of Alicia Keys", but this is the one that really stuck. From the outset, "Superwoman" (which may be her best song) indicates early on this is going to be something special. "No One" is simply a breathtaking, Legendary performance demonstrating the awesome power of Love. Alica really has reached a sort of peak with this music & lyrics. "I Need You" never gets old and "Teenage Love Affair" touches something young within me (something I only feel when I think of Highschool) and is catchy to no end. (I mean that in the most complimentary way) "Tell You Something" (Nana's Reprise)is achingly beautiful and compelling. So far as the extra songs go, "Doncha Know" (Sky Is Blue) is an excellent musical composition featuring Alicia sort of stretching out and experimenting with her vocals. It's really good.

EXCELENTE CD MUY BUENO

Bottom-Line: On "Am I Am", Alicia Keys has grown considerably. Gone, mostly, is the street tinged songs that so marked her earlier work. Alicia Keys, the beautiful, light-skinned, black bombshell diva from Harlem released her third studio album "As I Am" in November 2007 to much funfair some five years after her smash 10 million selling Songs in A Minor (2001). Two point five years is not an inordinate time to wait between albums, but it was time well spent, for Ms. Keys once again serves up collection of (Prince) R&B tracks that are better than those that came before, proving that this hip, beautiful and (very) talented young black woman is here to stay. Upon release, "As I Am," like its predecessors won wide-spread critical acclaim and debuted on the charts at No. 1 selling some 742,000 copies in its first week of release making it her strongest debut album yet. As of January 2008, As I Am had sold some three million copies worldwide; earning a triple-platinum designation, making it less successful than Songs in A Minor, but what's a million album sells between Diva and fans? The album also garnered Ms. Keys (2) Grammy Awards for the single No One (track No. 4), and for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the same track. "Am I Am" also won three 2008 NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Album and the single Like You'll Never See Me Again (track No. 4) won for Outstanding Song and Outstanding Music Video. Finally, the CD won (2) 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Album. Can this woman rack them up or what? And is "Am I Am" that good? In a word, YES! The stunning success of "As I Am" solidifies Ms. Keys' position and standing as an R&B force to be listened to, and respected; she is no passing fad; she was (and is) the real thing, an honest to goodness R&B diva with crossover appeal who can not only sing with emotive soul, but can play the piano like a virtuoso. Not many of her peers could, or can match Alicia Keys' combination of innate musical talent, lyrical acumen, vocal faculty and striking, smothering, sexy good looks. "As I Am" spawned four notable singles: the aforementioned No One, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts; Superwoman (track No. 3), which reached No.82 on the Billboard Hot 100; the aforementioned Like You'll Never See Me Again, which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, and; track No. 9 Teenaged Love Affair, which reached No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. I enjoy "Am I Am" on many levels; at least the music is authentically hers; in other words there is a decided and refreshing lack of featured artists (except John Mayer on track No. 6 Lessons Learned). Ms. Keys in confident enough in her "street credentials" and musical seasoning to keep it real all on her own. There are many gleaming musical facets to this album. In additional to Ms. Keys own brand of funky, sultry soul, there is also an diverse mix of genres from contemporary jazz, to smoky salsa, from hip-hop to Pop; Ms, Keys has it covered and covered well on her third studio effort. But there is also a heavy Prince influence on all of Alicia Keys' CD's and "Am I Am" is no different. Prince's musical imprints can be clearly discerned on track No. 5 Like You'll Never See Me Again; the soft bass riffs and layered vocals are straight from Princes' signature `80's influenced funk. On "Am I Am", Alicia Keys has grown considerably. Gone, mostly, is the street tinged songs that so marked her earlier work. Here Ms. Keys, wrote and perform a more soulful brand of R&B, one that relates to, and pays homage to the artists that came before her and laid the tracks whereby R&B steamed into the fabric of American music. "Am I Am" feels and sounds more personal, more wistful and wishful; Keys is singing about the state of her soul, and we are the recipients of a body of work well done, a group of songs that are thankfully devoid of Hip-Hop's brashness and hallow bravado. "Am I Am" is instead filled with the sweet serenity of old-school R&B, sweetened by a twist of contemporary flavor.

Well recorded

I bought her very first album but not any after. I've always been a fan but i saw her perform on YouTube and thought I needed another record. I bought this and she is fantastic. I am.a man and Superwoman is just a great song. This album is amazing. She is very gifted.

Ms Keys does it Again.

She's a great Singer And a Great Songwriter! And I'm very please with her song choices!

Pubblicato nel 2007, "As I Am" segna un momento di maturità e transizione per Alicia Keys. L'album è un'opera che riesce a bilanciare il suo sound classico (pianoforte e Soul) con nuove influenze Rock e Pop, mantenendo sempre un'incredibile profondità emotiva. Il successo strepitoso (la posizione n. 2 in R&B e le eccellenti recensioni) ne conferma lo status di classico moderno. La tracklist di 14 brani è ricca e mostra una varietà di influenze, grazie a un cast di produttori di altissimo livello. I Capolavori R&B/Soul: "No One" (Traccia 4): È il cuore pulsante e la hit più grande dell'album. Nonostante sia molto Pop, il brano mantiene un solido fondamento Soul, con il pianoforte e la voce di Alicia in primo piano. "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (Traccia 5): Una power ballad R&B sofisticata e intensa, co-prodotta da Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, che cattura perfettamente il suo lato più romantico e melodico. "Superwoman" (Traccia 3): Un inno potente e d'ispirazione, che utilizza una ricca sezione di fiati (horn section), richiamando il Soul classico e le produzioni di Mark Batson. "Lesson Learned" (Traccia 6 - feat. John Mayer): L'inclusione di una collaborazione con John Mayer, che è anche produttore e chitarrista nel brano, spinge il suono di Alicia verso un territorio Blues-Rock più orientato alla chitarra, dimostrando la sua volontà di sperimentare. "The Thing About Love" (Traccia 8) e "Sure Looks Good To Me" (Traccia 14): Prodotte da Linda Perry (famosa per il suo lavoro con Pink e Christina Aguilera), queste tracce aggiungono un tocco di Raw Rock e Soul-Rock alla raccolta, ampliando il suo spettro sonoro. "Teenage Love Affair" (Traccia 9): Un brano R&B con un sound Motown/Soul d'altri tempi, prodotto da Jack Splash. L'album è introspettivo e celebra l'accettazione di sé, come suggerisce il titolo ("As I Am"), offrendo un messaggio di forza e vulnerabilità. La ricchezza dei musicisti e dei produttori (Mark Batson, Kerry Brothers, John Mayer, Linda Perry) fa sì che l'album abbia una qualità sonora eccezionale, con una grande enfasi sulla strumentazione dal vivo (archi, fiati, chitarre). Il pianoforte di Alicia Keys è sempre al centro, mantenendo la sua identità distintiva. "As I Am" è un album di studio eccellente e un acquisto altamente consigliato. Non è solo una raccolta di successi, ma un lavoro coerente e maturo che dimostra l'evoluzione di Alicia Keys da talento R&B a artista Pop/Soul a tutto tondo. Se amate il Soul moderno, le ballate potenti e la musica prodotta con grande attenzione ai dettagli strumentali, questo CD è un must-have.

Si duda un álbum que merece estar en toda colección de los amantes de la buena música. Esta edición viene con vinilos de color rojo translúcido, los cuales se ven maravillosos girando en la tornamesa. Un álbum maravilloso en una edición de vinilo maravillosa y a un precio de ensueño ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Não é gatefold, isso é péssimo. Mas o disco é de qualidade boa até

前2作品があまりにも素晴らしいため、ファンの期待値が凄かったと思うが、その期待に見事に答えたのは流石としか言えない。R&Bをベースにしながらも、ブルースロックやロックバラードっぽい曲もあったり、確実に前作とも違う。R&Bというジャンルにとらわれず、様々なジャンルを取り入れるのは今に通じるのかな。

This is my second CD of this album because I used up the first, lol. Alicia Keys is amazingly talented and "lesson learned" is one of my favourite songs of all time.