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Press Releases

Top 5: Albums to Look Forward To Before 2010

1. The Element of Freedom – Alicia Keys
Projected Release Date: Dec 1/2009
First single: “Doesn’t Mean Anything”

Alicia Keys is back with her fourth studio album, and even though we’ve been wondering “How could she possibly top what she did last time?”, she has always managed to do it. She went all for the Motown and old-school soul on As I Am, her last album, and on this one, she has said that she’ll be experimenting with new sounds as opposed to old – everyone seems to be saying that about his/her album these days. Let’s just hope she doesn’t abandon what makes her stand out from the typical R&B we hear on the radio.

In her own words: “The way that the songs progress [on the album] are gonna take you on a natural high. I just want you to feel a sense of freedom, I want you to feel out-of-the-box, feel inspired… you’re going to hear things that you probably didn’t think that I would sound like. It’s a journey.” – interview on 106 & Park

2. Raymond vs. Raymond (previously Monster) – Usher
Projected Release Date: Dec 8/2009
First single: “Papers”

After the absolute flop (well, by Usher’s standards, at least) that was Here I Stand, Usher is picking himself up and releasing another album. Amidst rumours and speculation that he had “gone soft” with his marriage to ex-wife Tameka Foster, the title of the first single, “Papers,” is definitely up for interpretation. Now in his thirties, Usher has to prove that he still has what made Confessions the massive commercial and critical hit that it was; two failures in a row would put him firmly in the “Up-for-retirement” class.

In his own words: “Racy, risky, and edgy” – interview with People magazine

3. Transition – Ryan Leslie
Projected Release Date: Nov 3/2009
First single: “You’re Not My Girl”

The strange thing about Ryan Leslie is that his career never really took off, despite lots of solid production work for artists like Cassie, New Edition, and Britney. He has earned the respect of many artists within the industry for his unique musical style, but his fame on the charts (and in the gossip columns) has been surprisingly limited. For a man who graduated from Harvard when he was 19, Ryan Leslie could be doing a lot of other things with his life right now, but his dedication to music is impressive, to say the least – he wrote and produced his entire debut album, which is almost unheard of in the music scene today. Transition is receiving the same treatment, but as of right now the odds of it being either a Confessions or a floptastic Here I Stand are pretty even.

In his own words: “I don’t really get into the idea of making excuses or giving explanations for why I’m not massively exposed… we’re at an age now where if people really want to expose something… they’ll expose it.” – interview with PinBoard

4. D.N.A. – Mario
Projected Release Date: Oct 12/2009
First single: “Break Up”

Sporting a new shaved head, Mario is back with D.N.A., an album that was supposed to be released ages ago, but kept getting pushed back. It’s hard to believe that this is his fourth album (he’s only 23), but Mario’s talent can’t be denied. He’s like a younger, more contemporary-R&B-sounding male version of Alicia Keys. He has all the producers that the hip-hop and R&B singers in the game want on their albums too, and seeing as this is Mario we’re talking about and add to that the fact that he’s been working on this album for so long, this will probably keep R&B afloat until the end of the year when all the other artists drop their albums.

In his own words: “… you’ve got the Trey Songzs, the Ne-Yos , and you’ve got the Chris Browns of the world—you’ve got all these new artists. This is my fourth album, and some of them aren’t even on their third [album]—I’m coming back with something fresh and new.” – interview with DJBooth.net

5. Echo – Leona Lewis
Projected Release Date: Nov 11/2009
First single: “Happy”

Is there a more anticipated album this year? Well, there probably is, but this one is up there with the rest of them. Spirit was the hit album that every American Idol winner after Kelly Clarkson desperately tried to attain unsuccessfully (with the exception of perhaps Carrie Underwood), and Simon Cowell is not letting go of the reins on this one, having once again chosen the producers for every song. If the first single is any indication though, she seems to be following the formula for her debut a little too closely – “Happy” sounds dangerously similar to, well, every single on Spirit that featured piano instrumentals. Leona Lewis might be toeing the line with this one.

In her own words: “I’ve taken more control this time and I feel more at ease with everything.” (Don’t make me wish that you pushed yourself more, Leona.)

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Press Releases

Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis, Talib Kweli and more speak on their love for Novel

Get a deep look at both the man & the artist in Novel’s EPK
In the video, Novel’s very talented fan-base of Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Talib Kweli, Leona Lewis, & Joell Ortiz speak on his dedication to the craft

“The first time I heard any of his music… there’s just a zone about it that I really got right inside of” – Alicia Keys

“He makes decisions based on musicality. A lot of people make decisions based on how they want to sell. His decisions are strictly creative based and that’s rare in today’s industry” – Talib Kweli

Find out why Novel is your favorite artist’s favorite artist, plus get an exclusive sneak peak of a track from Novel’s debut album “The Audiobiography”.

Novel EPK

Novel
“I Am…Future Black President” EP – Available Online Now
“The Audiobiography” in stores March 24 2009
Capitol Records

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Alicia Keys Press Releases

ALICIA KEYS TEAMS UP WITH MYSPACE TO HELP FIND THE MULTI-GRAMMY AWARD WINNER A NEW BACKGROUND SINGER

ALICIA KEYS TEAMS UP WITH MYSPACE TO HELP FIND THE MULTI-GRAMMY AWARD WINNER A NEW BACKGROUND SINGER

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS MAY 5

Eleven-time Grammy award winner Alicia Keys is looking to find a new background singer through her MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/aliciakeys). The lucky winner will get a chance to tour with her as part of the worldwide Lexus Presents Alicia Keys As I Am tour.

People interested are asked to submit a 30 second or longer video of them singing an original song acapella to Alicia Keys’ Myspace page. Qualifications include being a female between the ages 21-30 with R&B/Soul singing experience. Contestant must also have a valid passport, and must be physically fit and able to dance. Deadline for submissions is May 5. A winner will be selected around May 15.

Ignited by her first two hit singles “No One” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” Keys’ internationally-acclaimed third studio album As I Am (MBK/J Records), has sold over 5 million copies worldwide since its November 2007 release. The disc has claimed the #1 spot for several non-consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart and the single “No One,” earned Keys two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Additionally, Keys received four awards at the NAACP Image Awards and was honored at the first annual BET Honors ceremony.

About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first ranked web domain in terms of page views (*), MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace’s international network includes localized community sites in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Latin America, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Brazil and the United Kingdom. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS) (NYSE:NWS.A) (ASX:NWS) (ASX:NWSLV).

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Alicia Keys Reviews

Alicia Keys – The Diary Of… review

I rarely purchase CD’s, let that be known. Do I download material? Rarely. But, because of MVRemix I receive all I’d want to Alicia Keys - The Diary Of... reviewhear. There was only one exception, I didn’t receive this. After being familiar with Alicia’s previous material, I couldn’t help but be intrigued to hear what Alicia would come along with for her sophmore effort.

Being of the opposite sex, Alicia’s material is easy to enjoy, but not personally appropriate to sing along to. To help accentuate her material, Alicia is very direct in her feelings. She uses “he” rather than “you” and so, as a male fan, I don’t find myself singing along too much. However, I do enjoy listening to her sing.

Seldomly do I hear a singer so captivating that I have to listen. Alicia comes under one of those seldom experiences. Her voice and passion are exceptionally conveyed through her music.

Enlisting some larger producers (Timbaland and Kanye West for example), Alicia helps put forth a signature sound. The contemporary feel that she presents with “Harlems Nocturne” and “Karma” are as enveloping as “If I Ain’t Got You” and “You Don’t Know My Name.” The feel she presents can’t help but make the listener smile.

The album’s best track comes in the form of the title track; “Diary” featuring none other than Tony Toni Tone. The quiet and soft piano which introduces the song weaves its way through the entire piece and sits beautifully beneath Alicia and Tony Toni Tone. The content is strong and well written.

In essence, “The Diary Of Alicia Keys” is a perfectly enjoyable sophmore album. I wish more artists were on the same level as Ms. Keys in terms of singing talent and content.

Alicia Keys – The Diary Of… review

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Alicia Keys Press Releases

Alicia Keys – As I Am debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 with over 742,000 units sold

Alicia Keys “As I Am” debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 with over 742,000 units sold!!

Alicia Album

Biggest debut in J Records and RCA Music history!
This is the highest debut by a female since 2004!
2nd biggest debut over the past two years on the Billboard chart !
“As I Am” is breaking digital records at iTunes!
Most ever digital album sales for a female artist!
Alicia Keys is the highest selling female artist to debut with 58,539 units sold in the first week!

“No One” is #1 on the digital track sales chart with 205,533 scans
“No One” is #1 on the Urban Mainstream chart for 5 weeks straight!
#1 R&B Overall Album
#1 R&B Core album with 152,089 scanned
#1 indy/small chain stores
#1 album retailers
#1 mass & non-trad albums
#1 digital album sales with 60,900
#1 video at BET for 4 weeks!

“As I Am” is the #1 selling album in every region of the country
“As I Am” ranks #1 in 80 DMAs across the country
Top 10 Major market #1 sales DMAs include:
New York – 84,833
Los Angeles – 58,565
Washington, DC – 33,866
Atlanta – 32,170
Philadelphia – 29,611
Chicago – 27,872
San Francisco – 23,697
Baltimore – 16,306
Houston – 15,358
Detroit – 14,205

“Diary of Alicia Keys” jumps from #25 to #10 on the Top catalog R&B overall albums chart!
Top 3 at Rhythm for 3 weeks straight!
Breaks into to the Top 10 on the Top 40 with the #9 slot this week!
Gold ringtone and Gold digital single!
“Like You’ll Never See Me Again” is already Top 20 at Urban Mainstream with over 27 Million in audience.
Alicia also holds down the #10 slot at BET’s 106 & Park countdown!

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Alicia Keys Videos

Alicia Keys – “Like I’ll Never See You Again”

Here’s a video for another track off Ms. Keys’ new album, As I Am. Word to Mr. Com Sense, who cameos.

Categories
Alicia Keys Press Releases Videos

Alicia Keys – No One video and Like You’ll Never See Me Again video

Alicia Keys – No One video

MULTI-PLATINUM, NINE-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNER ALICIA KEYS SET TO RELEASE “AS I AM” WORLDWIDE ON NOVEMBER 13

THIRD STUDIO ALBUM FEATURES COLLABORATIONS WITH KERRY “KRUCIAL” BROTHERS, LINDA PERRY, JOHN MAYER, SWIZZ BEATZ AND MORE

Nine-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys returns with her long-awaited third studio album, As I Am, set for a worldwide release on November 13 on J Records. Within 10 hours of being serviced to radio, Alicia’s first single, “No One,” became one of the fastest-moving and highest-charting single on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. This also marks the highest first single debut for a female artist in 2007 on the R&B Monitor’s Urban Mainstream chart!

Check out the video for the second single “Like You’ll Never See Me Again”

Quicktime PlayerWindows Media