Limited vinyl LP pressing includes poster and digital download. 2016 release, the sixth studio album from the R&B singer/songwriter. From the human condition to global politics, Here offers a keen glimpse of everything that matters most to Keys. Here is Keys' first album in four years, following Girl on Fire (2012). Keys said that she was not planning a hiatus, but after she finished recording material for the album, she found out she was pregnant which "put a different time spin on things." Her son Genesis was born in December 2014. Keys has sold over 18.4 million albums in the US, and over 30 million albums worldwide.
Between the release dates of her fifth and sixth albums, Alicia Keys was as visible as ever, acting on Empire, coaching on The Voice, performing on Saturday Night Live and at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. At some point, she stopped wearing makeup, fed up with the standard of perfection to which women are held. That anti-processing mentality and heightened social consciousness carried into the making of Here. Pared down compared to Girl on Fire in every respect, Keys' first album since 2012 was created primarily with husband Swizz Beats and Mark Batson -- a trio dubbed in the liner notes as the Il'luminaries. There are more yeahs, ohs, and unghs (and fucks) here than on any previous Keys album. The expressions are sometimes heard as Keys feels out a rhythm, like she's warming up, while in "The Gospel" they sound like temporary placeholders for lyrics. There's a batch of career standouts. "She Don't Really Care_1 Luv" is prime hip-hop soul with an appearance from legendary vibraphonist Roy Ayers. The biographical "Blended Family (What You Do for Love)," featuring A$AP Rocky, hits all the right supportive notes despite borrowing from Edie Brickell's "What I Am." Most affecting of all is the gospel-blues dirge "Illusion of Bliss," a modern-day version of James Brown's "King Heroin" presented from the addict's point of view. Anyone who faults Keys' lack of technical mastery should be able to feel the depth of the pain the singer expresses in that highlight. ~ Andy Kellman
- Format: Vinyl (Black)
- Genre: Pop, R&B
- Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website!
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Tracklist
| A1 | The Beginning (Interlude) |
| A2 | The Gospel |
| A3 | Pawn It All |
| A4 | Elaine Brown (Interlude) |
| A5 | Kill Your Mama |
| A6 | She Don't Really Care_1 Luv |
| A7 | Elevate (Interlude) |
| A8 | Illusion Of Bliss |
| B1 | Blended Family (What You Do For Love) |
| B2 | Work On It |
| B3 | Cocoa Butter (Cross & Pic Interlude) |
| B4 | Girl Can't Be Herself |
| B5 | You Glow (Interlude) |
| B6 | More Than We Know |
| B7 | Where Do We Begin Now |
| B8 | Holy War |
