Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

 After a lengthy delay Alicia Keys finally dropped Alicia earlier this year and man is it really good. Its a very accessible album with lots of guests spots. I really like "Good Job" which has been molded too fit the first responders and such dealing with Covid-19. "Underdog" is a great song too. Alicia's singing is really smooth and impactful on these tracks. The production is vibrant too. I liked most every song here. Some songs didnt stand out as much as others but hey thats the case with most Alicia Keys albums. All in all its not quite as good as HERE but its not behind by much at all. She's R&B royalty indeed. Lyrics- 24 Beats- 22 Depth- 24 Tilt- 24 Verdict 94

1)Beyonce’ vs. 4)Alicia Keys:  We’ve come to it, the semifinals! This should be good. The top seed has looked unstoppable easily beating Keri Hilson and Janelle Monae. Alicia Keys beat K. Michelle and Aaliyah. I predict Beyonce will come out on top again. Vocal Ability-  At this point these matchups are hard to call. I think both ladies are great vocally, both with powerful voices. 5-5 Albums- This is tough. Beyonce has some albums that are just better than what’s in Alicia’s discography but Alicia has some great albums under her belt tho. 6-4 Collaboration- It’s kinda hard to say but I’m gonna have to give Alicia the advantage here. Her features seem better to me. For example both were on Eminem’s Revival album and I liked Alicia’s feature more on the respective song. But its somewhat close again. 3-7 Versatility- I feel Beyonce’ is really versatile but then again so is Alicia. Queen B has better fast tempo songs tho that’s for sure. 6-4 Impact- TBH I haven’t listened to all ...

  Bracket A   1)Beyonce’ vs. 9)Janelle Monae : While Queen B had it relatively easy in the first round this round should be a lot more competitive. Janelle is looking for an upset. Vocal Ability- I really feel Beyonce’ is a great singer but Janelle is just as good. 5-5 Albums- This is kinda tough to call but not really. It’s another tie due to Janelle having only classics, and Beyonce’ having classics to match. 5-5 Collaboration-  This round things look better in this category for B. She has had quite a bit more collabos. 7-3 Versatility- Janelle takes this category with a wide array of song styles. B is good here too tho. It’s a reasonable split. 4-6 Impact- This is closer than you might think. Both artists make some truly great music. Issa tie. 5-5 Comm. Success- This is where B tells you to “bow down b**ches” lol. It’s not a good look for Janelle here. 10-0   Beyonce’ wins 36 to 24.  Janelle was more competition for Queen B but ultimately she loses here prett...

Vocal Ability:  The artist’s ability to sing. (pretty self explanatory) Albums:  The artist catalogue strength. How many albums and how good are they? Collaboration:  The artist collaboration ability on other artist’s songs; can be a fellow RnB artist or Rapper’s song. Versatility:  The artist’s ability to make different kinds of songs. That might be ballads, club bangers, or average tempo songs. Impact:  The artist’s landmark they leave on the Rhythm and Blues nation. Their music’s ability to last. Commercial Success:  How many albums did they sell during their careers. Bracket A 1)Beyonce’ vs. 16)Keri Hilson:  The Queen B Beyonce goes up against Miss Keri baby. An upset is not expected here. There’s some hostility in this matchup as well should be lit. Vocal Ability-  So I honestly feel this is closer than you think. But I gotta give Beyonce’ the edge here. 6-4 Albums-  This is where its unfortunately for Keri, not close at all. Keri has 2 ...

6) As I Am (92)- This is actually her weakest album. But as you can see its still good. The first 4 songs are really good. Especially “No One”. “Teenage Love Affair” is so sweet and cute. “Wreckless Love” is also a great song. My favorite non single song is “Where Do We Go From Here” where relationship issues come full circle. The album has its fair share of average songs but for the most part its really good. Top Tracks: Like You’ll Never See Me Again, No One, Go Ahead, Teenage Love Affair, Where Do We Go From Here. 5) Girl On Fire (93)- GoF is a great album but not really as interesting as her better albums. The songs are good tho like the title track, “New Day” and “When It’s All Over”. The production is decent here, but her singing/lyrics have been better. The first half is clearly the better half. TT: Girl On Fire, New Day, Fire We Make, Listen to Your Heart, Limitedless. 4) Songs in a Minor (94)- SiAM is the one that started it all. The balladry here is incredible. I ...

This is, the best A.Keys album to date…it starts with an awesome Intro. Then “Karma” really pleases the ears. She sings about a foul lover. The next 2 songs are really good and well produced: “Heartburn” and “If I Was Your Woman” respectively. The next 3 singles are excellent as well. I believe “You Don’t Know My Name” helped solidify her spot as an R&B elite artist. I also believe it was produced by the great Kanye West! The album’s 2 nd half is the weakest half….but its not really bad or anything. I’m assuming if you’re a fan of Alicia you’ve already heard this; but If you haven’t listen now! Verdict: 9.6  A Great Diary Indeed

Alicia Keys has finally blessed us with a new album. It’s noticeably better than Girl On Fire, and lets just be clear; due to great production it’s a tiny notch above Element of Freedom too. She raps on the first song The Gospel, and she does a good job too. All on this album she sounds focused and poised. Yes I liked every song here, although the replay value isn’t as high as Element of Freedom. She didn’t include the single In Common up here, and honestly she didn’t need it. She even sings over Nas’s One Love beat. #WINNING! Longtime fans of Keys will love her edgier approach to her sound. Hell she should get some new fans too. 9.5 or A

Alicia Keys returns after 3 years with another hot album. Every song is good, and I like the way the album is constructed. Alicia’s albums usually are constructed well. There’s uptempo songs, and great slow ballads. Vocally and Lyrically Alicia seems like she can make these songs in her sleep. Girl on Fire is hot, and New Day is refreshing. The album’s 2 nd half may be the lesser half, but this is a great addition to her discograpy. Hmm Ima give this album 9.25. Its great but not quite as good as the Element of Freedom