Alicia Keys |
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Fri. December 05.2003 12:00 AM EST |
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Alicia Keys: Turn the PageR&B's leading lady is back to show us her Diary. She talks about her mom's powers of spying, and Gladys Knight's powers of seduction. by Brian Ives and C. Bottomley |
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Alicia Keys’ debut Songs in A Minor was a breath of fresh air for R&B. Its inspired blend of soul, hip-hop and even a fifth of Beethoven was a smash hit that turned the teenage songwriter into an overnight sensation. She topped the charts and
Judging from The Diary of Alicia Keys, the 22-year-old New York pianist has been banging plenty of Isaac Hayes, Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra back at the crib. With its swirling strings and spoken word interlude, first single “You Don’t Know My Name” sounds like something Shaft might put on when he wants to kick back with Riunite, baby oil, and a long-legged lovely. The rest of the 22-year-old’s second album has got it bad, too. “Heartburn” might feature Timbaland’s bionic pulse, but the album’s soaked in a dreamy romantic haze of wah-wah guitars and honeyed choirs. Keys even unites Gladys Knight’s 1970 sob-a-thon “If I Was Your Woman” and Hayes’ epic version of “Walk On By” in a cool medley. It would all be mere pastiche if Keys didn’t identify so completely with the heartache that’s a keystone of ‘70s soul. When VH1 sat down with her, she was both girlishly giggly and clearly in command of her art, feeling at ease about following up on Songs in A Minor, and quick to discuss her musical heroes. But she was also willing to admit that the real Alicia Keys is in the pages of her Diary. Just ask her nosy mom. VH1: When you first got home after the last date of the last tour, what was on your mind? Alicia Keys: The excitement of “Guess what I’m going to do tomorrow? Nothing!” [Laughs] I felt extremely giddy. The plane ride back home was 16 hours, but I felt like a freed animal; everybody was probably looking at me like I was crazy. It was so exciting to come home and be in a place that I miss so much. VH1: Making this record had to be a different experience to the last album. AK: People are dying to hear me say that there was a crazy amount of pressure and I was suffering under the weight on my shoulders, but I didn’t feel like that. For me to put that on myself before I’d even gotten out what I had inside of me? I’m defeating myself! And I’m not defeating myself, see? I know I’m getting better with time. I’m like wine, you know? I just get sweeter! [Laughs] [Watch Clip] VH1: Why did you call the album The Diary of Alicia Keys? AK: I knew I wanted it to be in a diary form, because that’s the way I write my music. It’s the way I explain to myself honestly what I feel, because I’m good at putting on a smile. Sometimes I fool myself! I turn around and I’m like, “Wait, what do I feel?” Through these songs, I look at myself in the mirror. I say, “What is it? Tell me, right now.” VH1: Do you actually keep a diary? AK: Definitely. I have a million books - from when I was seven and had a little Hello Kitty [diary], until right now. I always hide them in places and say, “This is gonna be a good hiding place! No one’s gonna find it!” Then I can’t find it for a good couple of years! VH1: Did you ever catch anyone reading your diary? AK: Yeah, her name is M-O-M. She drives me C-R-A-Z-Y. She’s a professional nosy person! Those questions you have in your hand right now? They're upside down, [but] she can read 'em. I might be [writing] and she might glance over and get a little taste of what’s going on in my head. Growing up in New York, she kinda had to be like that, just to make sure everything was cool. Because Lord knows I wasn’t tellin’ her! [Laughs] [Watch Clip] VH1: “You Don’t Know My Name” has such a vintage Isaac Hayes sound. AK: That’s my joint. I love that song. It’s not until I hear songs that I’ve done, that I realize how much of an inspiration music from the ‘60s and ‘70s has been. The story definitely happened to me before, so I definitely wanted to talk about it! VH1: So it’s a true story? AK: The most fun about parties is that second you have to check somebody out that you’re really feelin’. I was observing this one gentleman from across the room, as you do in parties. He came up to me and said, “I would love it if you called me.” But he wasn’t able to tell me his name and I wasn’t able to tell him [my] name, because something was happening and we were leaving. I really liked that guy and his flow, so I decided to give him a call. I opened up the number the next morning and I couldn’t read what he wrote! I felt really upset about that. That’s the official version of “You Don’t Know My Name!” [Watch Clip] VH1: What was Isaac Hayes’ impact on you musically? AK: One of the reasons why “You Don’t Know My Name” is six minutes and six seconds is because of Mr. Isaac Hayes. He mixed soul and classic[al] orchestrations in an incredible way, and extended songs to the point where there would be strings for three minutes before the song even began! That really added a whole ‘nother musicality to music. VH1: Why did you decide to turn “If I Was Your Woman” and “Walk On By” into one song? AK: It’s like the ultimate blend. The Gladys Knight song “If I Was Your Woman,” is incredible. [It’s] your all-time favorite story of a woman being attracted to a man who already has a woman. How many times have we heard that story? Been there, done that. But! She puts a twist on that. She says, “I’m attracted to you, but the thing that gets me the most is that this woman you’re with doesn’t understand how incredible you are.” I really appreciated that twist and the passion that she sang it with. [Watch Clip] VH1: What about “Walk On By?” AK: “Walk On By” translates to my generation as Biggie’s “Warning.” We took what once was a sample that did one thing, and really jacked it up. That was an incredible collaboration of two of my all-time favorites - in my way. VH1: What do you think of people like Anthony Hamilton harkening back to that ‘70s soul style? AK: Anthony Hamilton, especially, is somebody I really respect. I love that they have something to say and say it in a way that’s true to themselves. Soul music is timeless. There’s somebody 20 years from now that’s gonna discover Curtis Mayfield for the first time and is going to be wildly inspired. I remember hearing Songs in the Key of Life and Music of My Mind for the first time. I was like, “Whoa! You can do that?” I promise you: I was like, "You can do that?" It changed my whole thought process about music. VH1: Prince will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year. What’s his impact on your music? AK: I remember seeing a show with him, Doug E. Fresh, Chaka Khan, and Larry Graham. I was standing the entire time, absolutely. I was screaming the entire time, because I felt so many emotions. He came out on this big huge stage, and he owned it. I remember him sliding from one end of the stage to the other, on his knees, then getting up and playing the piano. I was like, “I’m going to do that. I’M GOING TO DO THAT.” He’s inspired me in a major way. [Watch Clip] VH1: In your live show, you spend half of it sitting at the piano and half standing leading the crowd. AK: Definitely. I love to do that with my live shows. I really like to have it reach different valleys and peaks. Like there’ll be a moment where it’s really, really personal. It’s almost like me and you, and we’re alone and I’m just playing. Then there’ll be another moment where it just gets crazy and the energy rises. I love to show those different sides of myself. VH1: You don’t like to have things too scripted. AK: No, because it gets boring. With my band, we’re out for a long time, playing these songs and playing these songs and playing these songs! [Laughs] It’s important to keep them and me excited, because if we’re excited, the crowd’s excited. I do what we call a Freedom Night and oh man, we have a good time. It started in St. Louis. We had been out for a long time. One more day of living out of that suitcase and we were about to kill each other! I said, “Tonight, I want everybody to something they never did before - ever.” I started with me, and rolled one pants leg up all the way and kept one leg down. I challenged them, and it was one of the best shows ever. So when things get a little tight, you do a Freedom Night. |
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