Alicia Keys

At 43 years old, Alicia Keys has this physical status:

Career

Jeff Robinson, the boss of the Teens in Motion program, met 13-year-old Keys in 1994. In Harlem, Robinson's brother was teaching Keys vocal lessons. Robinson had discussed Keys with his brother and advised him to visit her, but he dismissed it off because he had "heard that tale 1,000 times." Keys was a member of a three-girl band that had formed in the Bronx and was performing in Harlem at the time. Robinson eventually agreed to his brother's request and went to see Keys perform with her troupe at Harlem's Police Athletic League center. Keys was soon taken by Keys, her soulful singing, playing contemporary and classical music, and performing her own songs. Robinson was ecstatic by audiences' reactions to her. Robinson, who was captivated by her charisma, fame, and maturity, considered her to be the "complete package" and took her under his wing. By this time, Keys had already written two of the songs that she would later include on her debut album, "Butterflyz" and "The Life."

Robinson wanted Keys to be educated and able for the music market, so he took her everywhere with him, including all the meetings with lawyers and discussions with record labels, although the adolescent was often dissatisfied with the process. Robinson had advised Keys to pursue a solo career as she remained reticent about a band's musical interactions. She took Robinson's advice after her company was disbanded, and she contacted Robinson, who introduced her to A&R executive Peter Edge in 1995. Edge later compared his first impressions of Keys to HitQuarters:

Robinson and Edge assisted Keys in assembling some demos of songs she had written and created a showcase for label executives. On the piano for executives of various companies, keys were performed, and a bidding war ensued. Edge was keen to sign Keys himself but was unable to do so at the time due to being on the verge of leaving his existing record company, Warner Bros. Records, to Clive Davis' Arista Records. Columbia Records had been contacted by Keys for a record sale, selling her a $26,000 white baby grand piano; after discussions with her and her manager, she agreed to the label at age 15. Keys was also graduating high school, and her academic success gave her a chance for scholarship and early admission to university. Keys received a scholarship to study at Columbia University in Manhattan last year. She graduated from high school early as a valedictorian at the age of 16, and she began attending Columbia University at the age of 16, while still working on her music. The keys to coping with a difficult schedule between university and working in the studio pushed into the morning, adding to the anxiety and her mother's distant relationship. She often stayed away from home and wrote some of her life's most "depressing" poems. After a month to devote full-time to music, the keystones decided to drop out of college.

Columbia Records had hired a team of writers, designers, and stylists to work on Keys and her music. Keys were required to submit to their creative and image selections. Keys said they were not interested in her contributions or being a musician and music producer. Although Keys worked on her albums, Columbia executives tried to change her music; they wanted her to perform and have others create the songs; they wanted her to perform and have others write; and then she compelled major-name companies to engage with her, making it appear. She will appear in sessions already set with music she had composed, but the label will reject her performance in favor of their vision. Keys recalled, "It was a constant war, it was a lot of 'isms." "There was the sexism, but it was more the ageism" – you're too young, how can you know what you want to do?" Oh, God, this just irked me to death, I hated it." "The music came out was really sad," she said. "You have a desire to do something useful, and you have thoughts and recommendations, but when you stop the music, it's shit, and it continues to be so." The keys will be in a "perpetual music industry purgatory" under Columbia, though they were "relegated [her] to the shelf." She appeared on "Little Drummer Girl" on So So Def's Christmas collection in 1996 and later co-wrote "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)" for the Men in Black (1997) film soundtrack, and Columbia's only remaining recording Keys were available.

The experience of writing with the people Columbia brought in was "hated" by the key writers. "I remember going to the studio one day with dread in my chest," she said. According to the producers, she would also sexually proode her. "It's all over the place." And it's mad. "It's really difficult to comprehend and handle," she said. Keys had already developed a "protect yourself" mentality from growing up in Hell's Kitchen, which began as a young child and then in the industry, she had to refuse the advances of producers and be around people who "just wanted [her]." Keys felt that she did not have to show weakness. Columbia executives wanted to make her image, including her "hair blown out and flowing," short skirts, and telling her not to lose weight; "they wanted me to be the same as everybody else," Keys said. "I had horrific experiences," she recalled. "They were so disrespectful." "Hey, it's nothing's worth it," I thought. Keys had grown more ill and distraught with the situation, as the brand had ordered the finished tracks. "It was about that time that I realized that I couldn't do it with other people." "I had to do it better myself, with the people I felt most at ease with or by myself with my piano." The keys decided to sit down with several designers and engineers to ask questions and see how they actually work on other artists' music. "The only way it would look like anything I would be remotely proud of is if I did it," Keys determined. "I already knew how to type the keyboard so that was a plus." The bulk of the work was watching people work on other artists and watching how they layer things."

Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, her sister, suggested to Keys that she purchase her own gear and songs on her own. Keys began working separately from the brand, exploring more manufacturing and engineering with her own equipment. She had moved from her mother's apartment to a sixth-story walk-up apartment in Harlem with Brothers, where she converted a recording studio to their bedroom and concentrated on her music. Keys argued that being on her own was "necessary" for her sanity. She was "going through a lot" with herself and her mother, and she needed the space; "I wanted to have my own thoughts, not to do my own thing." The kings and Brothers followed the basement, where they turned it into KrucialKeys Studios. Keys will be back to her mother's house on a regular basis, especially when she feels "lost or unbalanced or alone." "She'll most likely be working, and I'll be sitting at the piano," she reminisced. During this period, she wrote the song "Troubles," which started as "a chat with God" and was working on it further in Harlem. Around this time, the album "came together," and she produced and performed the majority of the songs that would appear on her album. "I knew how to organize my emotions into something that made sense, something that could be translated to people," Keys remembered. "It's a changing point." "My confidence was up, way up." The unique experience reinvigorated Keys and her music. Columbia's leadership changed and new creative differences emerged with the new executives, even though the album was almost complete. Keys performed her songs to the executives, who said it "sounded like one long demo" for the executives. Keys wanted Keys to sing over loops, and the Keys informed Keys that they would bring in a "top" team and get her "a more radio-friendly sound." Keys would not allow it; "they already had set the beast loose," she explained. "I started making my own stuff there wasn't any going back." Columbia had the "wrong vision" for her, according to Keys. Keys wrote, "They didn't want me to be a victim, didn't bother," Keys explained. "They just wanted to put me in a box." To Keys, she had "everything" over her creative process.

Since they began "completely disrespecting [her] musicality," the keys had hoped to leave Columbia. She recalled that leaving Columbia was "a hell of a fight." "Even if they looved it, they were threatening to keep everything I'd created." I was worried that I'd have to start over again just to get out, but I didn't worry." "It's been a trial, one measure of hope and faith after the next," Keys said in 2001. "Success doesn't mean that I'm the artist, and you give me my 14 points, and that's all." It's not how it's going to turn down," the author says. Edge, the Arista Records founder at the time, said, "I didn't know that there was so much hands-on growth at Columbia," she was able to figure out and request to be released from her employment, which was a brave move for a young artist." In 1998, Edge introduced Keys to Clive Davis, Arista's then-president.

Davis recalled:

Davis figured Keys had "a natural gift as a writer and a singer, enough to warrant a personal meeting – one of those no-brainers – her beauty is stunning, as well as her ability as an arranger and a producer." Keys said she had "never had anyone of his stature ask me how I felt myself and what she wanted to do" during her first meeting with Davis. Davis had asked Keys "what the creative visions were that she had for herself."

Robinson and Keys were able to negotiate out of the Columbia deal with Davis' assistance, and she signed to Arista Records in late 1998. Keys was also able to get away with the music she had produced. Davis gave Keys the creative freedom and authority she needed and encouraged her to be herself. "He knows which artists are the ones that might be requiring their own sound and style and songs," Davis said, and you don't have to worry about finding the time. And I suspect he somehow knew that and recognized it in me, but really let me find it." Keys continued honing her songs after being signed to Davis. Keysee is a boy who was destined to have a wilde orphanage before her boss suggested the name Keys after a nightmare. She felt that the name represented both as a performer and a person. Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), respectively, the principals contributed her songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror" to the soundtracks of the films Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001).

Davis was booted from Arista in 2000, and the unveiling of Keys' album was delayed. Davis formed J Records later that year and immediately signed Keys to the brand. On the days leading Davis to his new name, Keys said, "He didn't try to divert me to something else." She wants to be herself, not "made into what someone else believes to be."

Keys appeared in small theaters around the country, appeared at industry showcases for months and then on television. Davis said that "pop stations may think she's too urban." Urban could find her "too traditional" and that Keys is the best-known, hypnotic performer" who had never met in person, so he had Keys perform her music to different audiences in various venues to help spread the word. Davis recalled, "I gave those who saw her to spread the word." "She is her own ambassador." Davis wanted to "let people know her," but she could only do so with a handful of artists." In advertising for her forthcoming debut, Keys appeared on The Tonight Show later this week. Davis wrote an email to Oprah, requesting that Keys, Jill Scott, and India represent on her show to attract young women in jazz. On the day she heard her song "Fallin'" her first single, Oprah booked Keys. The song appeared on Oprah's show the week before her debut album was announced. "Fallin" was released as a single in April and plummeted to No. 1 on the charts. Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 went top for six weeks in a row. Not Alicia's unique blend of classical meets soul, meets hip-hop, not Alicia's unique blend of classical meets soul, meets hip-hop," Ebony magazine said at the time. What could have been a recipe for disaster turned into the opportunity of a lifetime." Davis said, "does her own thing" in her early days as an artist. She has mapped out her own vision. That's the way it is for musicians of her ilk... They don't want to fit in, not trying to fit in. They're beginning to chart their own paths [she has] a strong natural instinct and a keen eye" as well as a "fondness for musical history."

A Minor, which featured songs that Columbia Records had rejected, was released on June 5, 2001 to critical acclaim. In an R&B, soul, and jazz-fused album, it included classical piano.

Jam!

"Old-school urban sounds and attitude set against a backdrop of classical piano and sweet, warm vocals," the musicmaker described it as "old-school urban sounds and attitude set against a backdrop of classical piano and sweet, warm vocals." "Keys taps into the blues, soul, jazz, and even classical music to compel haunting melodies and hard-driving funk," USA Today wrote. According to The Guardian, songs in A Minor will be "lauded for their blend of traditional soul values and urban-girl coolness." "Keys' Songs in A Minor" was a testament to her inability (and patience) to produce a project that most reflects her sensibilities as a 20-year-old woman and as a musical, cultural, and racial hybrid, according to PopMatters.

Songs in A Minor debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number one, grossing 236,000 in its first week at retail. Word of mouth and television exposure from television performances was so popular that record stores ordered another 450,000 copies on their second week. The album has since sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States and 12 million worldwide, as well as 12 million internationally. The Recording Industry Association of America has given it a six-time Platinum rating. Keys' songs in A Minor established her fame both within and outside the United States, where she became the year's best-selling new artist and R&B artist.

"A Woman's Worth" the album's second single, which debuted on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in February 2002 and reached number seven on the Hot 100 and third on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Songs, becoming her second top ten single on both charts. "How Come You Don't Call Me," Keys' interpretation of Prince's song, debuted on June and debuted at 59 on the Hot 100. "Girlfriend" was the album's fourth single, and it peaked at 82 in the United Kingdom. In A Minor, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged, which featured eight remixed versions of the original songs as well as seven unplugged versions.

Six Grammy Award nominations have been given to songs in A Minor, including "Fallin" on Record of the Year. Keys received five awards: Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for "Fallin'," Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards: Keys won five categories: Best New Artist, Best R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Album. Keys tied for the most Grammy awards for a female solo artist in a year. Keys wrote and produced the song "Impossible" for Christina Aguilera's album Stripped (2002), as well as providing background vocals and piano. Keys made small cameos in the television series Charmed and American Dreams in the early 2000s.

Keys followed her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in December 2003. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, grossing over 618,000 copies in the first week of its debut, the highest first-week sales for a female artist in 2003. It has sold 4.4 million copies in the United States and has been rated four times Platinum by the RIAA. It's sold eight million copies around the world, making it the sixth-best-selling album by a female artist and the second-best-selling album by a female R&B musician. "You Don't Know My Name" the album's lead single, debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranked one on the Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart for eight weeks in a row, her first top ten single since 2002's "A Woman's Worth." "If I Ain't Got You," the album's second single, "If I Ain't Got You," debuted in February 2004 and ranked 4 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart and at number one. "Diary," the album's third single, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart, and it was their third consecutive Top ten single in both charts. "Karma," the album's fourth and final single, debuted at number 20 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and was the first single to fail to crack top ten positions on both charts. "If I Ain't Got You" became the first female artist's first hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart for over a year. The keys also collaborated with recording artist Usher on the 2004 album "My Boo" (Special Version). The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for three weeks, becoming her first number-one single on the Hot 100 since 2001's "Fallin." At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, Keys received "If I Ain't Got You"; she performed the album and "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder; she performed the song and "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder.

It was announced that Keys would make her film debut in a tribute to biracial piano prodigy Philippa Schuyler while attending the Cannes Film Festival in May 2004. Halle Berry and Marc Platt co-produced the film. On the 20th anniversary of the Great Wall of China's reconstruction campaign, Alicia Keys headlined the concert on the Northern Gate Juyong section of the Great Wall of China, marking the 20th anniversary of the Great Wall of China's reconstruction campaign, which was part of a series of charity concerts.

Keys' book Tears for Water: A collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics, will be published later this year. The title came from one of her poems, "Love and Chains," a woman who wrote, "I don't mind drinking my tears for pleasure." "Everything I've ever written has resulted from my tears of joy, of pain, of sadness, of despair, and of fear, not to mention." In 2005, the book debuted over US$500,000 and Keys became the fifth best-selling book on the New York Times bestseller list. The following year, she received her second straight award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for her film "Karma." The keys performed "If I Ain't Got You" and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of "Georgia on My Mind," the Hoagy Carmichael song made popular by Ray Charles in 1960 at the 2005 Grammy Awards. "If I Ain't Got You," Best R&B Album for "You Don't Know My Name," Best R&B Album for Alicia Keys and "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for Usher's "My Boo" on Saturday evening, she received four Grammy Awards for her four Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Vocal Performance for "My Boo" and Best R&B Vocal Performance for "My Boo" with Vox

Keys appeared and filmed her MTV Unplugged concert at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in July 2005. During this session, Keys added new styles to her original songs and performed a few pick covers. In October 2005, the session was released on CD and DVD. The album, which was simply named Unplugged, debuted at number one on the US charts. In the first week of release, Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 units sold. The album was sold in the United States, where it had been rated Platinum by the Royal Institute of British Architects, and it shipped out two million copies worldwide. Unplugged's debut was the first MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York, and the first Unplugged by a female artist to debut at number one. "Unbreakable," the album's first single, debuted at number 34 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop charts, and at number four on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs. For 11 weeks, it remained at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart. "Every Little Bit Hurts," the album's second and final single, was released in January 2006 but it failed to make it to the US charts.

Keys founded The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers in Long Island, New York. The studio was planned by renowned studio architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studio. The co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises, a production and songwriting company that has assisted Keys in composing her albums as well as recording music for other artists, are the Keys and Brothers.

Keys received three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Song for "Unbreakable" in 2006. The Songwriters Hall of Fame also named her with the Starlight Award. In October 2006, she appeared as Mama Martian in the children's television series The Backyardigans' "Mission to Mars" episode, in which she performed a new song, "Almost Everybody Is Boinga Here." The keys had almost died during the same year. Her grandmother had died and her family was heavily dependent on her. She felt she needed to "escape" and went to Egypt for three weeks. "That trip was certainly the most important thing I've ever done for myself in my life to date," she said. It was a difficult time that I was living with, and it came to a point where I really needed to—literally, I needed to run away, honestly. "I wanted to get as far away as possible."

Keys made her film debut in early 2007 in the crime film Smokin' Aces, co-starring Georgia Sykes opposite Ben Affleck and Andy Garca. Keys received a lot of praise from her co-stars in the film; Ryan Reynolds called her "so natural" and that she would "blow everyone away" after she said. During its theatrical run, Smokin' Aces was a moderate success at the box office, grossing $57,103,895 worldwide. Keys received more praise for her second film, The Nanny Diaries, based on the 2002 book of the same name, in which she co-starred Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. During its touring run, the Nanny Diaries had a mixed success at the box office, grossing only $44,638,886 globally. In the "One Man Is an Island" episode of the drama series Cane, she appeared as herself.

In November 2007, Keys released As I Am, her third studio album; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with 72,000 copies in its first week. It was Keys' first week of her career and her fourth straight number one debut on the Billboard 200, tying her with Britney Spears for the most consecutive number one debuts by a female artist on the Billboard 200. The week was the second-largest sales week of 2007 and the first for a female solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels Like Home in 2004. According to the RIAA, the album has been selling three million copies in the United States and has been rated three times Platinum three times. It has sold five million copies around the world. As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award, the ten winners received five nominations and then went on to win two. "No One," the album's lead single, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in a row, and Hot R&B/Hip Songs for ten weeks in a row, and became Keys' third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively. "Like You'll Never See Me Again," the album's second single, "Like You'll Never See Me Again," debuted in late 2007 and debuted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart, with seven weeks in a row. "No One" made it to No. 1 in October 27, 2007, the highest level since "No One" reached No. 1. The last week, from January 16, 2008, the first week "Like You'll Never See Me Again" was at No. 1 in the United States. 1, the Keys were on top of the charts for 17 weeks in a row more weeks than any other artist on the Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart for 17 weeks, more weeks in a row than any other artist on the Hot R&B/Hop Songs chart. "Teenage Love Affair," the album's third single, peaking at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs, debuted at number 54. "Superwoman," the album's fourth and final single, debuted at number 82 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.

At the 2008 Grammy Awards, "No One" received the top male R&B Vocal Achievement and Best R&B Song. With an archival video of Sinatra and "No One" with John Mayer later in the performance, the keys opened the service, with Frank Sinatra's 1950s song "Learnin' the Blues" as a "duet" and "No One" after the ceremony. During the performance, Keys also received the Best Female R&B Artist award. She appeared in "Fresh Takes," a Dove Go Fresh commercial micro-series that premiered on MTV from March to April 2008. The premiere praised the introduction of the latest Dove Go Fresh. She also signed a deal as a spokesperson for Glacéau's VitaminWater to promote the product, as well as being in an American Express commercial for the "Are You a Cardmember?" a bid is being run for the second time in history. The primarys, as well as The White Stripes' guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, performed the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the first duet to Bond's history. Keys was ranked 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists in 2008. She also appeared in The Secret Life of Bees. In a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards, she was given a prize for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and received Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Superwoman."

Keys said in an interview with Blender magazine that "Gangsta rap" was a ruse to convince black people to murder each other,'gangsta rap" was a conspiracy to compel black people to murder each other, but "the government" did not exist." Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were also mentioned in the journal, according to the publication. "They were effectively killed, their beef were stoked by the government and the media, to discourage yet another great black leader from surviving." Keys later released a statement clarifying the subject and saying that her words had been misinterpreted. Keys was smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the A Mild cigarette brand endorsed by tobacco company Philip Morris later this year. She apologised after finding that the concert was sponsored by the corporation and called for "corrective intervention." The corporation repaid its sponsorship in response.

Keys approached Clive Davis in 2009 for permission to perform a song on Whitney Houston's sixth studio album, I Look to You. She co-wrote and produced the single "Million Dollar Bill" with record producer Swizz Beatz. She appeared on rapper Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind," the lead single from his eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3. The album was a commercial and critical hit, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the fourth time. In addition, the following year, it received Grammy Awards for 'Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and 'Best Rap Song,' a total of five nominations. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers honoured Keys with the Golden Note Award, which is given to artists "who have achieved major career milestones" in the previous month. "Looking for Paradise," by Spanish recording artist Alejandro Sanz, was the first African-American of non-Hispanic origins to debut No. 1 on all three charts, making her the first African-American of non-Hispanic origin to reach No. 1. 1 on the Hot Latin Tracks.

In December 2009, Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom. It debuted on the Billboard 200, grossing 417,000 copies in its first week. It was preceded by the debut of its lead single "Doesn't Mean Anything" on the Hot 100, and 14 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs. Keys was ranked as the best R&B recording artist of the decade by Billboard magazine and ranked fifth as the tenth artist of the decade, while "No One" was ranked sixth on the magazine's top hits of the decade. The Element of Freedom, The Element of Freedom, became Keys' first album to top the UK Albums Chart in the United Kingdom. "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" was the album's second single and debuted at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart in November and ranked fifth on the Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart. Beyoncé, the album's third single "Put It in a Love Song," was featured on the album's third single. Keys' fourth single, "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down," debuted in February 2010 and hit the Hot 100 and seventy-six on the Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart. "UnThinkable (I'm Ready)" by rapper Drake was released as the album's fifth single in May. Though the Billboard Hot 100 was only at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, it remained ranked first on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs for ten weeks in a row. Keys' eighth top-one debut on the charts, and Keys' first top-one hit in five years. "Wait Til You See My Smile," the album's sixth and final single, was released in the United Kingdom in December 2010.

In May 2010, a Keys and Swizz Beatz representative announced that they were engaged and expecting a child together. On July 31, 2010, Keys and Beatz married near the Mediterranean Sea. Keys gave birth to their first child in New York City on October 14, 2010. "Speechless" was she and Eve's first song together, devoting her son.

In honor of its tenth anniversary, Songs in A Minor was re-released in June 2011 as deluxe and collector's editions. Keys embarked on a four-city promotional tour called Piano & I: A One Night Only Event with Alicia Keys, supporting her debut. Keys is also planned to co-produce the Broadway premiere of Stick Fly, which opened in December 2011. A wax figure of Keys was unveiled at Madame Tussauds New York at the end of June. Project 5, also known as Five, was released on September 26, 2011, marking Keys' debut as a producer. It's a five-part series that tells stories of five women with breast cancer and how it affected their lives. Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, and film producer Patty Jenkins co-directed the film. RCA Music Group, Arista Records, and Jive Records announced in October 2011 that J Records, Arista Records, and Jive Records would be disbanded. Keys will debut her new music on RCA Records as a result of the shutdown.

On November 27, 2012, Keys released her fifth studio album Girls on Fire through RCA Records. Keys has said that she wants the album to be "liberate" and "empower" supporters. Keys' first top twenty own single and peak number eleven on Billboard hot 100, "Like You'll Never See Me Again" her debut on the chart on September 4 was the album's first top ten own single on the chart since 2007, when she performed the song for the first time at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on September 6. It's an uptempo anthem, "Girl on Fire" is a raging anthem. "Brand New Me" was the album's second single. It was described as a softer ballad that was significantly different from the album's lead single. As a result, two songs from Girl on Fire were unveiled as promotion. The first was a song titled "New Day." Later, the song was revealed to be the solo version of 50 Cent's lead single, starring Dr. Dre and Keys. "Not Even The King" was released as a promotional song on VEVO. Its lyrics, written by Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé, recount a deep love that could not be afforded by "the king" alone. The album's sales were significantly less than Keys' previous ones.

Keys collaborated with Reebok in September 2012 for her own sneakers line. Keys reported in October 2012 that she and Bento Box Entertainment's Bento Box Interactive would develop "The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee," an education smartphone app about a teenage New York City girl and her wise grandmother. "Follow the Moon" and "Unlock Yourself" were two of Keys' original songs, including "Unlock Yourself."

Thorsten Heins and Keys, the BlackBerry CEO, unveiled the BlackBerry 10 mobile phone in New York City in January 2013. Heins has announced that Keys will be the company's next Global Creative Director. BlackBerry announced in January 2014 that it would part ways with Keys at the end of the month.

VH1 ranked Keys at number 10 on their 100 Sexiest Artist list in March 2013. On CD and DVD, Keys' VH1 Storytellers special was released in June 2013. Keys appeared on "I Will Pray (Pregher)" in December 2013 as a single from Italian singer Giorgia's studio album Senza paura. Keys performed with Kendrick Lamar on the album "It's On Again" for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 soundtrack in 2014. It was revealed in July 2014 that Keys had changed leadership from Red Light Management's Will Botwin to Ron Laffitte and Guy Oseary at Maverick.

Keys posted the music video on her Facebook page on September 8, 2014, as well as a lengthy status update describing her motivation and inspiration to write the song. The following week, it was announced digitally. Keys was also on her sixth studio album, with Pharrell Williams as the first set for a 2015 release. Keys described the album's tone as "aggressive" in an interview with Vibe. "Killing Your Mother" is one of the album's most popular songs. Keys revealed that one of the album's songs, "Killing Your Mother," was discussed by Keys. Dahlia Divin's first beauty campaign with Givenchy was revealed on the radio. Keysana Keys revealed in November 2014 that she would be releasing a series of children's books. Blue Moon is the first book to be published in the Journals of MaMa Mae and LeeLee. On December 27, 2014, Keys gave birth to her second child, Genesis Ali Dean. With The Weeknd, the key performers at the BET Awards 2015 were the best in the world this week. In the second season of Empire, Keys portrayed Skye Summers. She appeared in the episode "Sinned Against" on November 25, 2015.

On Season 11 of The Voice, Keys was announced as a new coach on March 25, 2016. She came in third place in The Voice finale, along with teammate We' McDonald. In May 2016, Keys released "In Common" and performed the song in the inaugural ceremony of the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final in San Siro, Milan. On October 15, the album debuted on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. World Refugee Day, Keys' short film Let Me In, which she co-produced with her We Are Here group, was released on June 20, 2016. The film is a reimagining of the refugee crisis in the United States. A$AP Rocky appeared in "Blended Family (What You Do for Love)" on her forthcoming album Here in October 2016. Keys' short film, "The Gospel," debuted on November 1, 2016. Here's a recap of the top ten hits on BET on November 3, and Here's a peek at number two of the Billboard 200, her seventh top ten albums. It reached the top of the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming the seventh chart topper.

She released "That's What's Up" in January 2017 re-imagining the spoken word segment on Kanye West's "Low Lights" as a result. The keys returned to Season 12 of The Voice on May 23, 2017, and she and her artist Chris Blue won the competition. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Keys revealed that she was recording her seventh studio album and did not return for the thirteenth series of The Voice in May 2017. She attended WE Day, a fundraising activity run by the Canadian WE Charity group in August 2017. Keys performed at Rock in Rio on September 17, 2017 in a thrilling and awesome performance. Keys will be returning to the show for the 14th season of The Voice with Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Kelly Clarkson on October 18, 2017. Britton Buchanan, her coworker, and with whom Keys released a cover version of Avicii's "Wake Me Up" as a pair, she came in second place. Keys appeared on Eminem's album Revival's song "Like Home" in December 2017. Keys were also featured on Justin Timberlake's latest studio album Man of the Woods (2018) and "Us," the third single from James Bay's second studio album Electric Light.

Keys appeared at the 13th Annual Billboard Women in Music festival on December 6, 2018, showcasing her latest non-profit, "She Is the Music." Keys briefly discussed the organization's efforts in establishing an inclusive database of women in music and a Billboard collaboration to assist young women interested in the music industry. She is the Music after learning that the number of women in popular music dropped by six percent in 2017, collaborating with Jody Gerson, Sam Kirby, and Ann Mincieli.

Alicia Keys was announced as the host of the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on January 15, 2019. It was the first time a woman hosted the show in 14 years when Keys hosted the inaugural event on February 10, 2019. Entertainment Tonight named Keys' appearance at two pianos at the same time as well as the Los Angeles Daily News who also mentioned her beauty. Keys paid tribute to those who inspired her, including Scott Joplin and Hazel Scott.

Keys attended the 2019 Met Gala themed "Camp: Notes on Fashion" in New York City, wearing a light aqua green sequined dress with hood and her partner Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, who wore a dark green suit and black bow tie. Keys performed at the Stonewall Day Concert in June 28, 2019, wearing a white jumpsuit with the name of her forthcoming song "Show Me Love" in multi-colored beads on the back of the jumpsuit. "Girl on Fire," her own song in the Stonewall Riots, was included in the set. In early September 2019, Keys was announced as the owner of the "Razor House" in San Diego, California. In a Billboard interview on December 5, 2019, Keys' new move with her husband to the West Coast was briefly discussed.

Keys' album "Show Me Love" with Miguel debuted in September 2019. Michael B. Jordan and Zoe Saldana appeared in the accompanying music video. The song debuted on September 24, 2019, as the first single from Keys' forthcoming seventh studio album. During her appearance at the 2019 iHeart Radio Music Festival in Las Vegas, Keys performed the song for the first time. The song was a commercial success on US Urban music charts and became Keys' first hit to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 since "Girl on Fire" in 2012; peaking at number 90 on November 22, 2019. This success made her debut as the artist with the most top-one hits on the Adult R&B Songs chart, spanning five weeks. In 2019, the song appeared at number one on the charts, from December 14, December 21, to December 28 in 2019, as well as the weeks of January 4 and 11 in 2020. "How Me Love" had been on the Adult R&B Songs Chart for 16 weeks as of January 11, 2020 (any position) (the chart has 30 positions). It was also Keys' 11th song to debut at number one on the Adult R&B Songs chart. In November 2019, it was followed by the introduction of the single "Time Machine" in November 2019. The music video for "Time Machine" was released the same month and praised for its retro roller coaster setting and vibes.

Keys received the American Express Impact Award in December 2019 for her efforts to promote female artist development and provide them with new opportunities through her non-profit She Is the Music, which was founded in 2018 and launched in 2019. On December 12, 2019, Keys were named at the 14th Annual Women in Music Billboard event.

Alicia Keys hosted the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in a row on January 26, 2020, as announced on November 14, 2019. In addition to staging the festival, the Keys performed many times, including a salute to basketball player Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash earlier the same day. With Brittany Howard backing the performance on acoustic guitar, Keys also performed her latest song "Underdog."

Alicia Keys' seventh studio album was supposed to be released on May 15, 2020, but it was postponed to September 18, 2020, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 31, 2020, the author's memoir More Myself: A Journey appeared. Alicia Keys Soulcare, a skincare and wellness brand that focuses on natural ingredients and nurturing rituals that promote self-love, launched in September 2020. Cult Beauty, a beauty store, was the first Soulcare store in the United Kingdom to be sold. Three of the line's three products, including candle, face cream, and a face roller, were first introduced. Soulcare's main markets have since expanded to North America and other regions of Europe. Founded in Oakland, California, the company is represented by e.l.f. Ulta Beauty Cosmetics and was also picked up by Ulta Beauty to be sold in their retail stores around the country.

Alicia launched "A Beautiful Noise" with Brandi Carlile on October 29, 2020 to compel Americans to vote. On Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy on CBS, Alicia and Brandi performed "A Beautiful Noise." "A Beautiful Noise" was also included on the digital reissue of Keys' seventh studio album Alicia, which was released on December 18, 2020.

Keys was frightened on DMX's album Exodus in the song Hold Me Down in May 2021. Keys performed a three-song medley of singles from the album on the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Songs in A Minor. A 20th anniversary edition of Songs in a Minor was published in June 2021.

In June 2021, InStyle revealed that Keys Soulcare's skin care line, Keys Soulcare, was expanding her skincare line Keys Soulcare to include facial, neck, and body care products. In an interview with The Guardian Keys, she revealed that her anxiety about her skin appeared to play a significant role in her skin and body care products. Keys was given the time and space she needed to create the products she sells in Keys Soulcare after a five-year absence from wearing make-up. Keys also provided a series of the key phrases, referred to commands, on Elle of what she does for spiritual, physical, and well-being as a result of the introduction of new products. Keys of Shape magazine published an article about a self-love ritual that involves admiring herself in the morning for several minutes.

Keys' single "Lala (Unlocked)" featuring US rapper and singer Swae Lee of the hip hop band Rae Sremmurd appeared on September 9, 2021. The song was performed at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. The music video was released on September 23, 2021.

Keys is a single that promotes the release of Keys' eighth studio album and follow-up to 2020's Alicia. The album was first seen on Alicia's 2021 Notes YouTube docu-series on December 10, 2021, as a double album with fully produced and broken down versions of new content. Keys released "City of Gods (Part II)" on April 7, 2022, 2022, through her own label AKW Records. It was written and produced by Keys and is a sequel to Fivio Foreign, Kanye West, and Keys' single "City of Gods."

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