Getting in the way of what I'm feeling

"Can you please write something positive?" my sister asked me on the phone last week. "Everything's asshole this, hate that, annoying this, douchebag that." While I would have loved get all Treach on her ass and spit, "Say something positive? Well positive ain't where I live," at her, I can't really refute what she's saying. It's true -- I've been grumpy lately. The only cliché I find more reliably truthful than "the grass is always greener" is "when it rains, it pours," so please forgive my recent shitstorm.

Alternately, if you have emotional cavities, please forgive me for the torrent of sweet nothings I'm about to unleash for the new Alicia Keys single, "No One." This song makes my balls tingle the same way that a roller coaster does. I haven't been as obsessed with an R&B song since Ne-Yo's "Because of You," and that's probably no coincidence (more on this in a sec). While I've never doubted her talent, I've always found Alicia to be somewhat overrated. Yes, she can play the piano and write songs, but I feel like early on, she was pegged as a virtuoso, while the reality is that generally what comes from her hands has the hypnotic stasis of played scales. Her voice is strong but ultimately plain-jane, and her songs tend to glide from the middle of the road into a ditch ("adult"-minded shit like "Diary" or "A Woman's Worth" is so boring, it practically puts itself to sleep). She's had plenty of great singles, don't get me wrong ("Girlfriend," "You Don't Know My Name," "If I Ain't Got You") -- I just would warn anyone to not believe the hype.

Until now, probably. Her trajectory sort of reminds me of Kate Bush's -- of course, Kate's weirder and more self-consciously arty (after all, she doesn't have to answer to the inherently trite foundation of the soul tradition), but she turned in two rather laconic albums (The Kick Inside and Lionheart), before revealing her most crucial strength as an artist -- production. It was with her third album, 1980's Never For Ever, that Kate blazed the path she'd follow to musical genius and, with any luck, Alicia will follow modified suit when As I Am drops Nov. 13. "No One" gives all indication that it will, as Keys (joined behind the boards by perma-partner Krucial, as well as Dirty Harry) is, for maybe the first time, banking on nuance via her song's production.

"No One" could have been any one of Keys songs without its details. If it were missing Keys' near-crazed vocals, if it were missing the analog keyboard that worms in during the chorus, if it were missing that 4/4 stomp, it'd be just another fluffy Keys track I'd flip past on the radio. Thank god it isn't. I can't be totally sure, but I believe that Alicia wrote "No One" in a range that's just above her own, so that virtually every note she sings is strained (a trick used by Ike Turner on Tina -- he was a sadist, Alicia's a masochist). Her dirtied-up passion alone could sell the song -- her reggae-like bellowing is part "No Woman, No Cry," part Mary J. in Ghostface's "All That I Got Is You" (check the bridge at 2:44 and try not to weep at the fact that Blige's singing wasn't used for the video). A classier joint might have placed strings (or even horns) in the place of that analog keyboard I mentioned -- it's extremely Stevie Wonder of her to consciously choose the synthesized over the organic. There's something politely fuck-you about her force of electronics upon her audience. Fuck me, too.

And then there's that 4/4 beat, the love of my life. It's so insane how present it's become again, and loathe as I am to admit it, I have Justin Timberlake (via Timbaland) to thank. Not that I was really there, but it feels like the '70s again, when disco was so pervasive that everything slow and fast had that 4/4 stomp. Songs like "No One" and Ne-Yo's "Because of You" serve as the downtempo counterpoints to the candy-house trend that Justin's "SexyBack" set and Timbaland's "The Way I Are" and Britney's "Gimme More" have continued. Alicia's and Ne-Yo's tracks are the "It Ain't No Big Thing"s and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything"s of their day. I'm absolutely tickled that house, or some weird approximation of it, is on the comeback trail and I'm almost stupefied that it's coming at us from multiple angles. House is a feeling and it's gushing right now.

And so am I. Alicia isn't changing society with her message or anything ("It will only get better," "People keep talking / They can say what they like," hmmm...where have I heard such sentiments before? Oh yeah. EVERYWHERE.), though the R&B world would be a better place if it were full of the passion and gentle weirdness that Alicia exhibits here. She sells her clichés like R&B's going out of business. I feel lucky to be a consumer.

Comments

[JP]

I agree completely. And though I have never been a huge fan of hers. Watching her be the ONLY ONE who actually "SANG" during the VMA's, it gave people a chance to see A) How talented she truly is and B) How good the song really is, despite being as simple and almost dated as it is.

[Driver B]

Thanks for this analysis. I have always liked her but felt she had the potential for more. . .so I'll be looking forward to this new release.

One thing that had me confused though - the title for this entry is a Jill Scott song. Right?

[Chaka_Kahn]

Rly? I thought it was kind of unlistenable.

[jtalia]

the first time i heard it i thought "this is it?" i felt it had nothing on you dont know my name, but then i heard it the second time, and loveed it. i figured it was because i was bias, but now that i read this, it def made sense. i love her, esp live.

side note...
TOP MODEL IS NEAR

[jtalia]

plus, her retro album cover rocks

[lupes]

Glad you posted on this because I saw her on the VMA's and it felt like the only organic moment (i mean the only organic moment that didn't involve decay cuz I guess Brit Brit...well, whatever) when she sang this song.

But I've been so like: Alicia Keys, Talented Snoozerville, for so long that it still didn't actually occur to me that I really like the song until I just popped over to iTunes to listen to it again and realized this will be my new "I'm excited by and in love with pop music again and why did I ever think it was over" song for the next few months...so thanks!

[Justin]

Your sister is right! Glad to see you're keeping it posi.

[Donny B]

Despite the few odd details that mix it up a bit, I still find it to be a bit of a snore. The piano is once again of the "hypnotic scale" type as you mentioned. The only part I really liked was the end, with the back-and-forth "oh-OH! oh-OH!" That was cool.

[Daniel]

Positiveness (not positivity--I hate that word) is thoroughly overrated.

[blip]

I loved both of those songs too! I'm a sucker for the beat --though, ironically, I've heard from others that the very reason they don't like these songs is the repetitive, "boring" beat.
My latest obsession of the same sort is "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. Heard it yet?

[milk&honey]

Oh, how I love this song. And oh, how I hated Alicia Keys until last week when I first heard this song.

Yeah, I'm a slut like that.

[Brandon H]

Soo nice, thanks.

[honeybfly]

Love the KB comparison. She is my fave after more than 20 years of listening. I agree with the Alicia assessment. Can't wait to hear what she and John Mayer do on the new release.

[Gyn]

I don't know if you've noticed, Rich, but you seem to mention your balls a lot.

[studpup]

thanks for the heads up. i missed the vma's and probably would have ignored this track cause i generally find keys boring. the track's 4/4 beat grabbed me right away and the vocals surprised me. i suspect it might grow on me more too. it'll be interesting to see if she lives up to the kate bush comparison though. if she does, we've got good stuff coming. yay :)

[seyourbivigou]

Don't cut down on the mean, I like you mean. The piss 'n' vinegar attitude works for me. Although this was very good too. When I first heard 'No-one' I was like, 'Yeah, whatever, so, so', because I feel about Alicia Keys the way you previously did 'Her voice is strong but ultimately plain-jane, and her songs tend to glide from the middle of the road into a ditch'.
But your review makes me want to listen again, so I can hear what you're hearing. Her first singles are always fairly tight, the important question is: does the album follow through?

Also: House? Coming back? Arrrrrrrggggh? Somebody build me a bunker.

[mutterhals]

Positivity is overrated. There is nothing wrong with being negative. If you're not pissed off right now, there's something wrong with you...

[Matthew]

And how can this be? For he is the Kwisatz Haderach!

[RD]

I never really understood why every press junket said Chris Brown was the best performer at the VMAs. Alicia actually performed a great song and a great remake of a George Michael song. Chris Brown just did a Chaplin-meets-Michael Jackson impersonation.

[Rich fan]

Glad you're feeling this. Thought I was the only one.

[cara]

well positive ain't where i live......i'm still dying.

[BayBB]

Not loving the song. Actually hating it, maybe it will grow on me. Then again, I never really cared for A. Keys. She's alright, I just feel she shines in music because Clear Channel has helped mediocrity become the new black.

Much rather listen to Jill Scott, Leela James or Erykah Badu.

[toonsNtunes]

thank you for summing up my feelings on Alicia Keys and her new song so much better then I ever could!!

[toonsNtunes]

thank you for summing up my feelings on Alicia Keys and her new song so much better then I ever could!!

[Joe]

I find Alicia Keys utterly boring. My bf refers to her as 'the new Debbie Gibson', someone who writes and produces all their own stuff and has a fondness for all things piano. LOL.