Editing Alicia Keys (section)

===1998–2002: Breakthrough with ''Songs in A Minor''===
[[File:Alicia Keyes (5112509447) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Keys at the [[Kennedy Center]] in 2002]]
Robinson and Keys, with Davis's help, were able to negotiate out of the Columbia contract and she signed to Arista Records in late 1998.<ref name="Roberts"/><ref name="Pareles"/><ref name="hitquarters"/> Keys was also able to leave with the music she had created.<ref name="Oprah"/> Davis gave Keys the creative freedom and control she wanted, and encouraged her to be herself.<ref name="Guardian 01"/><ref name="Hillburn"/> Keys said of Davis's instinct: "he knows which artists are the ones that maybe are needing to craft their own sound and style and songs, and you just have to let an artist go and find that space. And I think he somehow knew that and saw that in me and really just let me find that."<ref name="boom"/> After signing with Davis, Keys continued honing her songs.<ref name="Guardian 01"/> Keys almost chose Wilde as her stage name at the age of 16 until her manager suggested the name Keys after a dream he had. She felt that name embodied her both as a performer and person.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vineyard |first=Chloe |date=January 18, 2006|title=Alicia Keys Nearly Spills Secrets To Jane|work=MTV News|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1521106/20060118/keys_alicia.jhtml|access-date=March 7, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311171739/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1521106/20060118/keys_alicia.jhtml|archive-date=March 11, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Keys contributed her songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror" to the soundtracks of the films ''[[Shaft (2000 film)|Shaft]]'' (2000) and ''[[Dr. Dolittle 2]]'' (2001).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20011003a2.html|title=Alicia Keys: 'Songs in A Minor'|last=Brasor|first=Philip|date=October 3, 2001|work=[[The Japan Times]]|access-date=February 26, 2009|archive-date=May 25, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525113824/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fm20011003a2.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r536187|title=Dr. Dolittle 2 – Overview|last=Birchmeier|first=Jason|work=Allmusic|access-date=November 2, 2010|archive-date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303031531/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r536187|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2000, Davis was [[Arista Records#Reconstructing Arista|ousted from Arista]], and the release of Keys's album was put on hold. Later that year, Davis formed [[J Records]] and immediately signed Keys to the label.<ref name="Oprah"/> "He didn't try to divert me to something else," Keys said on following Davis to his new label. He understood that she wants to be herself and not "made into what somebody else thinks I should be."<ref name="Jet 01"/>

Keys played small shows across America, performed at industry showcases for months and then on television.<ref name="Toure"/><ref name="Hillburn">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-05-ca-59543-story.html|title=Showing What the Buzz Is All About|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Robert|last=Hillburn|date=May 5, 2001|access-date=April 16, 2018|archive-date=January 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130012223/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/may/05/entertainment/ca-59543|url-status=live}}</ref> Davis thought "pop stations might feel she's too urban. Urban might feel she's too traditional", and as he felt Keys was a "compelling, hypnotic performer" best experienced in person, he had Keys perform her music to different crowds in different places to spread the word.<ref name="Cole"/><ref name="Toure"/><ref name="Hillburn"/> "I created opportunities for those who saw her to spread the word", Davis recalled. "She is her own ambassador."<ref name="Cole"/> Davis wanted to "let people discover her, and you can only do that with a few artists."<ref name="Merritt"/><ref name="Neal"/> Keys later performed on ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' in promotion for her upcoming debut.<ref name="Toure"/> Davis wrote a letter to [[Oprah]] asking her to have Keys, [[Jill Scott (singer)|Jill Scott]], and [[India.Arie]] perform on her show to promote new women in music.<ref name="Toure"/> Oprah booked Keys the day she heard her song [[Fallin' (Alicia Keys song)|"Fallin{{'"}}]], her debut single.<ref name="Guardian 01"/><ref name="Cole"/> Keys performed the song on Oprah's show the week prior to the release of her debut album.<ref name="boom"/> "Fallin{{'"}}, released as a single in April, went to No. 1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], and stayed atop the chart for six consecutive weeks.<ref name="boom"/><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Martens|first=Todd|date=December 4, 2001|title=Alicia Keys' U.S. Tour Bows Jan. 22|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/77549/alicia-keys-us-tour-bows-jan-22|access-date=August 1, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090802033618/http://www.billboard.com/| archive-date= August 2, 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]'' magazine wrote that at the time "the music that was pumping on the airwaves was hip-hop and [[rap music|rap]] – not Alicia's unique blend of classical meets soul, meets hip-hop, meets, well, Alicia. What could have been a recipe for disaster&nbsp;... turned into the opportunity of a lifetime."<ref name="Cole"/> Keys as an artist since her early days, Davis said, "does her own thing. She has set out her own vision. That's the way it is for artists of her ilk&nbsp;... They don't try to fit in. They try to establish their own paths&nbsp;... [she has] sure natural instinct and sure vision" and "a respect for musical history."<ref name="Merritt"/><ref name="Cole"/>
{{Listen
|filename=Alicia Keys - Fallin' sample.ogg
|title="Fallin" (2001)
|description="Fallin'" is a [[gospel music|gospel]]-influenced piano ballad.<ref name="QOS">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/13316/68272|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201120519/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/13316/68272|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2013|title=The Next Queen of Soul|date=November 8, 2001|magazine=Rolling Stone|pages=1–6|access-date=November 2, 2010}}</ref> Often considered her [[signature song]], it describes the "ins and outs" of being in a relationship.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79462/hot-product|title=Hot Product|date=June 11, 2001|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=August 3, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090803131232/http://www.billboard.com/| archive-date= August 3, 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref>
|format=[[Ogg]]
|pos=right}}

''[[Songs in A Minor]]'', which included material that Columbia Records had rejected, was released on June 5, 2001,<ref name="Pareles"/><ref name="boom"/> to critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/2002/2002-01-25-keys.htm|title=D.C. falls in love with Alicia Keys|work=[[USA Today]]|first=Steve|last=Jones|date=January 24, 2002|access-date=June 3, 2018|archive-date=October 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008104600/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/2002/2002-01-25-keys.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1661882/alicia-keys-songs-in-a-minor-concert/|title=Alicia Keys Announces 10Th Anniversary Edition Of Songs In A Minor|work=[[MTV]]|date=April 13, 2011|access-date=June 3, 2018|archive-date=April 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417011652/http://www.mtv.com/news/1661882/alicia-keys-songs-in-a-minor-concert/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/77747/alicia-keys-leads-ama-nominations-with-five|title=Alicia Keys Leads AMA Nominations With Five|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=November 13, 2001|access-date=June 3, 2018|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006114000/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/77747/alicia-keys-leads-ama-nominations-with-five|url-status=live}}</ref> Musically, it incorporated classical piano in an R&B, soul and jazz-fused album.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2008188607_keys19.html |title=Six years after 'Minor' success, Alicia Keys is a major star |last=MacDonald |first=Patrick |date=September 19, 2008 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |publisher=[[The Seattle Times Company]] |access-date=May 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502010848/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2008188607_keys19.html |archive-date=May 2, 2009 }}</ref> ''[[Jam!]]'' described the music as "old-school urban sounds and attitude set against a backdrop of classical piano and sweet, warm vocals".<ref name="Jam!">{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/K/Keys_Alicia/AlbumReviews/2001/07/08/771200.html|title=Album Review: Songs in A Minor|last=Stevenson|first=Jane|publisher=Jam!|access-date=April 23, 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205225902/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/K/Keys_Alicia/AlbumReviews/2001/07/08/771200.html|archive-date=December 5, 2012}}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'' wrote that Keys "taps into the blues, soul, jazz and even classical music to propel haunting melodies and hard-driving funk".<ref name="USA Today">{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/74002313.html?dids=74002313:74002313&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+12%2C+2001&author=Edna+Gundersen%3B+Brian+Mansfield%3B+Steve+Jones&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Travis%2C+made+manifest+R%26B's+Alicia+Keys+hits+all+the+right+ones&pqatl=google|title=Travis, made manifest R&B's Alicia Keys hits all the right ones|last=Jones|first=Steve|date=May 12, 2001|work=USA Today|access-date=February 15, 2010|archive-date=January 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130063519/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/74002313.html?dids=74002313%3A74002313&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Jun+12%2C+2001&author=Edna+Gundersen%3B+Brian+Mansfield%3B+Steve+Jones&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Travis%2C+made+manifest+R%26B%27s+Alicia+Keys+hits+all+the+right+ones&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Songs in A Minor'' would be "lauded for its mix of traditional soul values and city-girl coolness", wrote ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref name="Sullivan"/> ''[[PopMatters]]'' wrote that "Keys's ''Songs in A Minor'' is a testament to her desire (and patience) to create a project that most reflects her sensibilities as a 20-year-old woman and as a musical, cultural, and racial hybrid."<ref name="Neal"/>

[[File:Alicia Keys.jpg|thumb|Keys performing in [[Frankfurt]], Germany, 2002]]
''Songs in A Minor'' debuted on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart at number one, selling 236,000 in its first week at retail.<ref name="Akin"/><ref name="boom"/> In its second week, word of mouth and exposure from television performances was so significant that record stores requested another 450,000 copies.<ref name="Toure"/> The album went on to sell over 6.2 million copies in the United States and 12 million internationally.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79215/keys-debut-tops-the-billboard-200|title=Keys' Debut Tops The Billboard 200|last=Martens|first=Todd|date=July 5, 2001|magazine=Billboard|access-date=August 1, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090802033618/http://www.billboard.com/| archive-date= August 2, 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/39906/chart-watch-extra-the-top-20-new-acts-of-the-2000s/ |title=Chart Watch Extra: The Top 20 New Acts of the 2000s – Chart Watch |access-date=July 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013084002/http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/39906/chart-watch-extra-the-top-20-new-acts-of-the-2000s/ |archive-date=October 13, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It was certified six times [[music recording sales certification|Platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=alicia%20keys&format=ALBUM&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |title=RIAA – Gold & Platinum |work=RIAA |access-date=March 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807093634/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=alicia%20keys&format=ALBUM&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |archive-date=August 7, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/112579-alicia-adds-tour-dates|title=Alicia adds tour dates|date=March 7, 2008|work=[[Metro (Associated Metro Limited)|Metro]]|publisher=[[Associated Newspapers]]|access-date=November 2, 2010|archive-date=April 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403164859/http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/112579-alicia-adds-tour-dates|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Songs in A Minor'' established Keys's popularity both inside and outside of the United States where she became the best-selling new artist and R&B artist of the year.<ref name="boom"/><ref name="Buzzworthy">{{cite web|last=Anitai|first=Tamar|date=November 12, 2007|title=MTV Artist of the Week: Alicia Keys|work=MTV News|url=http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2007/11/12/mtv-artist-of-the-week-alicia-keys/|access-date=November 9, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216120042/http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2007/11/12/mtv-artist-of-the-week-alicia-keys/|archive-date=December 16, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The album's second single, "[[A Woman's Worth]]", was released in February 2002 and peaked at seven on the Hot 100 and number three on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs; becoming her second top ten single on both charts.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Jeckell|first=Barry A.|author2=Mitchell, Gail|date=May 2, 2002|title='Totally Hits 2002' Packs in 20 Top Tracks|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/75918/totally-hits-2002-packs-in-20-top-tracks|access-date=August 1, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090802033618/http://www.billboard.com/| archive-date= August 2, 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref> Released in June, "[[How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?#Alicia Keys version|How Come You Don't Call Me]]", Keys's cover of [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]'s song, served as the album's third single, peaking at 59 on the Hot 100. The album's fourth single "[[Girlfriend (Alicia Keys song)|Girlfriend]]" was released in the United Kingdom where it peaked at 82. The following year, the album was reissued as ''Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor'', which included eight [[remix]]es and seven unplugged versions of the songs from the original.<ref>{{Cite web |author=((atc128)) |date=2016-05-24 |title=Alicia Keys – Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor (2002) |url=https://m4life.wordpress.com/2016/05/24/alicia-keys-remixed-unplugged-in-a-minor-2002/ |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=m4life |language=en}}</ref>

''Songs in A Minor'' received six [[Grammy Award]] nominations, including [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]] for "Fallin{{'"}}. At the [[2002 Grammy Awards]], Keys won five awards: [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]], [[Grammy Award for Best Woman R&B Vocal Performance|Best Woman R&B Vocal Performance]], and [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Song|Best R&B Song]] for "Fallin{{'"}}, [[Grammy Award for Best New Artist|Best New Artist]], and [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album|Best R&B Album]].<ref name="Grammy awards">{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/alicia-keys|title=Alicia Keys|publisher=[[The Recording Academy]]|access-date=September 6, 2018|archive-date=July 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714185626/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/alicia-keys|url-status=live}}</ref> Keys tied [[Lauryn Hill]]'s record for the most Grammy wins for a woman solo artist in a year.<ref name="Oprah"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/23/anglophenia.jsp?bc_id=899|title=Yes, America, Amy Winehouse Is a Star|date=February 11, 2008|access-date=February 13, 2008 |work=[[BBC America]]| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080215201949/http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/23/anglophenia.jsp?bc_id=899| archive-date= February 15, 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref> That year, Keys wrote and produced the song "Impossible" for [[Christina Aguilera]]'s album ''[[Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)|Stripped]]'' (2002), also providing background vocals and piano.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Stripped (Christina Aguilera)|year=2016 |type=CD liner notes}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8014854/christina-aguilera-stripped-anniversary-influence|title=How Christina Aguilera's 'Stripped' Album Is Influencing the Pop Scene 15 Years Later|magazine=Billboard|date=October 29, 2017|access-date=September 6, 2018|archive-date=October 31, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171031132913/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8014854/christina-aguilera-stripped-anniversary-influence|url-status=live}}</ref> During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series ''[[Charmed]]'' and ''[[American Dreams]]''.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/alicia-keys/biography|title=Alicia Keys: Biography|last=Serpick|first=Evan|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=November 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125130342/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/alicia-keys/biography|archive-date=January 25, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>