Music > Styles > Pop > Adult Contemporary

	buying more than one thing? add to bookbag(uses Multi-Item Price Optimization™) ...or intereact!

As I Am
Alicia Keys
Retail Price (not our price): $18.98
Release Date: 2007-11-13
Manufacturer: J-Records
Format: Audio CD
Discs: 1

Track List
Now here, for your listening pleasure, the tracks...

Disc 1

Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
By the time this long-awaited album saw its release date, most fans had probably read at least a couple of interviews with Alicia Keys in which she explained that first single, "No One"--a firestorm of a song clearly born of a sore heart and steeped in serious soul-searching, was about her decision to retreat from the obligations of stardom when she found out a loved one was in need of her care. The anecdote sticks not just because it explained the song so well--you can actually hear the pain, commitment, and determination in her sultry voice--but because it gets at what makes the woman behind the music so appealing. There's only one way R&B artists grow to become legends, and it's by drenching the words they sing with feeling (think Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack). The skeptical listener might have had her doubts before As I Am, but there's no mistaking it now: Alicia Keys is well on her way to sharing a category with them. This record radiates not just old-soul maturity, the kind Alicia fans say makes her modern rarity, but real soul. Vintage-leaning hooks and horns grab hold on "Where Do We Go from Here" and an assortment of other songs, but Keys can also get by just fine without them, as she proves on more pop-flavored numbers like "Lesson Learned," with John Mayer, and "Superwoman." The genres may be smearing, she seems to say, but bring them on: she won't shrink back. Her commitment is not to a single style but to what's stirring her soul. Because of it, she's moving R&B, or something like it, from the hips back to the heart. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

1) Perfect CD for Valentine's Day   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I bought this for Valentine's Day, and it was absolutely perfect. An amazing album, wonderful sound and lyrics. The overall effect is soulful, and deeply affecting;a great soundtrack to seduction.

2) She's Gorgeous   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I'm in love with her. A classy lady who makes great soulful music. Appeases one on many levels.

3) Not Her Best Release, But It 's Still A Consistent Winner   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
I have followed Key's career since she burst on the scene in 2001 with her hit singles "Fallin'", "A Woman's Worth", and "Butterflyz" from her Grammy-Award winning album, Songs In A Minor. Since then, I've always been impressed by her skill of mixing classical music with her slice of pop and R&B, and also making it sound great. She is one of the few mainstream artists that can recapture the originality and vibe of old school R&B and draw inspirations from some of her idols like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. With the highly anticipated release of her new album, As I Am, Alicia has finally stepped out of the box and added something quite unique to her sound. She has injected a bit of rock and pop into fourteen of these worthy tracks. The album kicks off with the classical hip-hop infused intro, "As I Am and then goes into the upbeat, loud track "Go Ahead." The lead hit single, "No One" retains a catchy reggae melody with Keys' honey-drenched vocals. Another noteworthy tune here is "Lesson Learned," which is a tight, yet risqué collaboration with pop/blues guitarist John Mayer. This one particular song shows that she just doesn't limit herself R&B, she can do different genres and it still sounds good.Other songs that are definitely worth a listen are "Like You'll Never See Me Again," which is a slow, moody ballad that sounds a lot like a Prince song, "Teenage Love Affair," a groovy, 1970's-sounding cut about a woman looking back at the first time she fell in love, and the rock-tinged "Sure Looks Good To Me." Although there isn't too much of a hip-hop influence many people would expect from Keys' albums, As I Am is still a satisfying work. Every track on this CD works and this project itself shows that Alicia can still go against the grain and do something different. Even though some of the material may take some time to warm up to, I feel Alicia has another hit on her hands and it's possible that she will sweep the Grammys in 2009. Not her best record, but it's still a consistent winner, in my book. Check this one out!

4) My sister loves it   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
Well i actually brought the cd for myself to burn on my mp3...long story short my sister got it and cant put it down...actually this cd is great songs are well put together...a must have...good job MS Keys

5) I love this CD   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I love Alicia Keyes, I think there are only 3 songs on here that I'm not crazy about. She is talented and puts out quality music that you can listen to around the kids.