Alicia Keys is one of the most successful musicians of her time. She is a multi-talented singer, musician, dancer, and actress. Her career is quite successful, while her music continues to dominate radio stations and charts all over the world. Her debut album went platinum five times.
Early Life
Born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981, in New York City, Alicia Keys began her musical career very early, at the age of 7, when she started taking piano lessons. Keys also majored in choir at the Professional Performance Arts School in Manhattan.
Her incredible singing, music talent, and dancing skills attracted the attention of the right people in a record company while she was still in high school. She graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School at the age of 16 and signed a deal with the head of Arista Records, Clive Davis.
When he moved on to start J Records, Keys did the same. Even though she got a full scholarship from Columbia University, Keys decided to shift focus on her music only.
What separates Keys from all other pop-music stars is the fact that she writes and produces her own music. The shift from Arista to J Records that Davis made allowed Keys to find all the artistic freedom she needed.
She completed her debut effort that raised her to stardom, while Davis ensured that the album received all the media blitz it needed before the release. This blitz included small venue and TV appearances, including an appearance on Oprah just the day before it was ready for selling.
Career
Her 2001 debut album, Songs in A Minor, shook the music world. It brought her five GRAMMYs, but more importantly, the album went platinum five times, something only a few artists can brag about. On top of all that, the next three albums all won her GRAMMYs.
In 2007, Keys released her album As I Am. The album was received exceptionally well, and it charted at No.1. The first week of sales went well also, selling more than 740,000 copies. The album earned her two Grammies and brought the artist together with big names from the music world like Jack White.
She teamed with White in 2008 to write a theme song for the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. In 2009, she collaborated with a long-time friend and famous rapper Jay-Z on the hit single called Empire State of Mind.
Keys released four studio albums by the end of 2009. The fourth studio full-length album, The Element of Freedom, was her first album to chart at No. 1 position in the UK while her fifth album from 2012, Girl on Fire, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200.
In 2014, her work paid off once again, and Keys won the GRAMMY for Best R&B Album. Her last effort from 2016, Here, established Keys as one of the most appreciated and successful R&B singers in the world. Two singles, In Common, and Blended Family, both charted at No.1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
Alicia Keys Relationships: Who Has She Dated?
Despite all the fame and popularity, Keys only had one love in her life – her husband Swizz Beatz. The famous couple met each other when she was just 16 years old. Swizz Beatz was 17 at the time. While it wasn’t love at first sight exactly, things eventually worked out, and the two started dating in 2008.
The romance went on, and Beatz made the final move in 2009 when he proposed. The couple married in July 2010 and got their first child the very same year. They welcomed a son named Egypt Daoud Dean. The lovebirds were blessed again with another child in 2014, their second son named Genesis Ali Dean.
In the News
When it comes to the hottest gossip about Alicia Keys, here are a few interesting facts. Bob Dylan mentioned the singer in one of his songs. Deepak Chopra conducted the wedding ceremony for Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, and her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
The singer hosted the Grammy Awards in 2019. Keys plans on releasing her seventh studio album somewhere around the end of 2020, even though she has been silent on any of the details surrounding her latest musical effort.
For now, she remains focused on her TV projects and family. She made numerous TV appearances last year, so it’s expected that she will continue to do so in the upcoming years. Her fans are pretty excited about her new music, and it seems that the whole world is in anticipation.
If you want to keep up with the career of the personal life of Alicia Keys, all you have to do is stay tuned with The Shade Room. We’ll make sure to provide only the latest and freshest news.
