Alicia Keys tells how the success of her first two albums almost destroyed her
Posted by Media Outrage on December 21, 2007
Alicia spoke about how the extraordinary successes of her first two albums ” Songs in A Minor” and “The Diary of Alicia Keys” almost destroyed her….
“For a minute there, I was doing things that were not humanly possible, and it was just a miserable way to be. . . . I had to learn from it or die, one or the other. I’m serious.
All of it, every side of it. Never saying no, always doing everything, accepting everything. Every inch of space was taken up with something to do and somewhere to be and someone to call and someone to talk to and someone to meet, and it’s too much.
I came to a point last year where I was just sick of being that. Sick of holding in these emotions that I had that were really eating away at me. So I became very rebellious about that, very rebellious about people telling me what they thought I should do and what they felt was good for me.”
Her manager Jeff Robinson had this to say about her wearing down….
‘SUPERWOMAN started to wear down. She didn’t want the outside world and her family and friends to see her cracking, so to speak. Everyone is used to seeing her so strong and so confident, and just to see her in tears and kind of confused and unsure of herself as was a total shock to most people around her. She didn’t know how to handle that.
“I told her just forget about everything, and just go away, just be alone with Alicia. . . . Don’t worry about deadlines, don’t worry about record companies don’t worry about shows. Just go, it will all be here when you come back.”
And that’s what she did and escaped away to Egypt for a while.
“I discovered that I spent a lot of my life feeling like I had to prove myself. People look at a young lady who’s a musician and a writer and they automatically think, ‘Ah, she’s probably OK, she can’t really be a producer, you can’t be serious, I’m sure there’s someone else that’s really doing it, she can’t really have written all that.’
Really, they doubt you, and so I think I spent a lot of my first two albums feeling like I had to prove that I could do all of this. So I was very controlling.I would come into a session with everything mapped out, and I think that restricted me in a lot of ways. . . . There’s a certain magic that happens when you just let it go, and this time, because of being able to let go of a lot of things that were holding me back and coming to a more secure place in myself, I went into sessions this time and I was just like. . . . ‘Let’s see what happens.’
You’re definitely hearing freedom, searching for freedom, self-realization and strength and vulnerability, and everything that happens to everyone, every day.”
She wants to put out another album soon.
“I would really like to put out another album relatively soon. Something that’s a bit more stripped back. . . . I already have about six or seven records for it that I love. I just want to keep creating. . . . The last record and the last tour, I went so hard that I kind of took away that side of me. And when it came time to come back around to create again it took me a while to find my groove. I just don’t want to ever get that far away from it again.”
For aspiring musicians….
Want to be successful in music, like Alicia? One possibility: Learn to play guitar and become the next music star, perhaps, all with the help of the Internet. You can also learn how to play blackjack and even do your own oil change!
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sweetthang said
i’m sooooo over alicia keys right now…yes her albums are great, but what artist doesn’t know that when you sign on to do your thang as an artist, your life is gonna be crazy!!! geez, 50 million people would kill for her position…i can understand the busy schedule but you knew what it would be when you signed up for this business…people are sooo drama filled and want folk to feel sorry for them….as i said earlier, i am soooo over it!
Alicia Keys said
“Songs in A Minor” good album, and Alicia very nice artist!
Alicia Keys is Mediaoutrage’s Artist of the Year!!! « Media Outrage said
[...] With an astounding 2,350,000 albums sold in six weeks Alicia Keys is Mediaoutrage’s Artist of the Year! That is remarkable being that she hadn’t released an album in 4 years, and with the music industry suffering terribly from music piracy, digital downloads, and lackluster sales. Alicia proved why she is an artist that will stand the test of time and remain relevant to the masses. Congrats Alicia!!!! We are already looking forward to your next album! [...]
simone said
I love alicia keys so much that i have her cds her new album and her book.She is a great singer and that i love her voice it is so wonderful.
Tay said
wow!.,
wht cn i say??
i jus lov alicia all over.,
i luv her voice, personality, who she handled herself in tht situation, and her wonderful talent on tha piano.
i like tha fact that she didnt take all of her anger on anybody,
she jus left for a while
and when she came back, she was like a whole new person
sometimes i jus thnk that if everybody were like that
and not always conclude ur anger in violence tha world wud b so much of a better place,
every1 wud b so much happier..
AND CONGRATS ALICIA KEYS ON UR LATEST ALBUM “AS I AM”
AND TO MANY MORE THT WILL FOLLOW,
IM SURE THEY WILL ALSO B A SUCCESS.
and if sumhow u happy 2 read this.,
i am havin a sweet 16 in december.
i wud luv it if u’d cum and perform,
we cn discuss price arangements at
taytay92@hotmail.com
Elle Bentley said
KUDOS !!! to you Alicia. I’ve worked for RIAA and Sound Exchange for years. I clearly remember her being Clive Davis newest artist when she was revealed. RIAA threw a party in her honor on Capitol Hill which was awesome. We had a wonderful time. She’s truly a beautiful artist I think that she will go very far in this industry amongst anything else that she applies her self to.
You Go Girl and continue to stay humble. let the haters hate..
Poop said
looks like shes getting banged in the butt
adam rab said
am like this gril, and music FALLIN. coool!!!