After a pair of bombastic anthems - including the oddly written "Girl on Fire," which has her "living in a world, and it's on fire," then "on top of the world" with "both feet on the ground" and "our head in the clouds" - the album loses its grip. "Listen to Your Heart," the second one, is mechanical yet plush and dials it back for Keys to embrace new love it's one of Rodney Jerkins' unassuming yet stunning beats. The first one, "When It's All Over," is a gushing testimonial over a dizzying Jamie xx co-production - a clash between acoustic jazz, synth funk, and minimal techno that will either thrill or repel. That's the way the album begins, with the alternately reserved and cathartic ballad "Brand New Me," one of three songs written with Sandé: "You look surprised your words don't burn me anymore." Two of the better songs, both of which feature assistance from John Legend, immediately follow and are closer to Keys' personal breakthrough.
A small but significant portion of the album has Keys somewhere in the past, grappling with or sifting through a stifling relationship.
The collaborative spirit continues all the way through Girl on Fire, an album sporting a list of around 20 co-composers and nearly a dozen co-producers. After the release of The Element of Freedom, her fourth consecutive chart-topping and platinum studio release, Alicia Keys not only married Swizz Beatz and became a mother but stacked collaborations with Drake, Kanye West, Marsha Ambrosius, Jennifer Hudson, Emeli Sandé, and Miguel.
0 kommentar(er)
