07 February 2011

Album Review: The Element of Freedom (Alicia Keys)

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As a child, my first love was water. Anything that involved water, I was interested. I got into competitive swimming, I love lounging in the beach with the sun above my head, burning my skin, and the sand between my toes, and I love water sports - I'd try out anything and everything. Hell, I even take my showers and baths seriously. It's that one and a half to two hours a day that I spend all to myself - and I don't mean that sexually.

Anyway, my second love was music. They say first love never dies, but my second love will never falter. I could spend hours just lying down in bed with my iTunes on random. I listen to every kind of genre - from OPM (Franco, Up Dharma Down, Urbandub, Bamboo, SinoSiKat?) to punk (Artist vs Poet, We The Kings, The Cab, Blink 182) to rock (Incubus, The Killers, Coheed and Cambria, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon) to RnB (Beyonce, Usher) to pop (Avril Lavigne, Britney spears, Black Eyed Peas) to acoustics (John Mayer, Jason Mraz) and a little bit of country (Carrie Underwood). But the artist who has most influenced me is Alicia Keys.
She's soul and she's rhythm and blues and she can do reggae. She's got a lot of spunk and she's full of beats - no one gets close. I remember singing If I Ain't Got You for my grandmom's 70th birthday, (and I'm not saying I've got a good singing voice) and I felt it, you know? I don't know how to explain it, but her songs just feel good to sing. She's just got a good vibe to her that can make my day, any day.

I've fallen in love with her when I first listened to her album, The Diary of Alicia Keys which featured the singles Diary, Karma, and You Don't Know My Name. Anyway, her latest album, The Element of Freedom is just what she really is as an artist. Mostly still upbeat and rhythmic and full of beats, I just can't stop listening to it. It features fifteen soulful tracks:

1. Love is Blind
2. Doesn't Mean Anything
3. Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart
4. Wait to See Me Smile
5. That's How Strong My Love Is
6. Unthinkable (I'm Ready) - featuring Drake
7. Love is my Disease
8. Like the Sean
9. Put it in a Love Song - featuring Beyonce
10. This Bed
11. Distance and Time
12. How it Feels to Fly
13.  Empire State of Mind (Part II) 
14. Through it All
15. Pray for Forgiveness

What's sad about this though is that some of these tracks have the same lyrics and the same beats. It definitely emanates radiance. Just plain good vibes. I could just keep on pouring out positive adjectives to describe this album, but it would be easier for all of us if you just listen to it :)

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