The Diary of Alicia Keys is easily a huge step up from Songs in A-Minor. With some of the best tracks of the year, Alicia has re-established herself as the r&b's top female, ahead of Beyonce, Ashanti, and the rest. All have immense talent, but Alicia has an extra something that separates her from the rest of the pack. Whether it be her rich, powerful voice, her seamless ability to run her fingers across the piano and sing in perfect synchronization, her abilty to captivate an audience with a single note, her heartfelt, moving lyrics, or just her beautiful face, Alicia has really shown that she is the best in the biz. This album is a real stunner, with its flowing, smooth r&b perfection. The first single You Don't Know My Name, co-written with Kanye West, is a solid smooth track, but it is Alicia's second hit, If I Ain't Got You, that brought her back to the top. One of the best r&b songs ever, Alicia's music, lyrics, and voice blend together perfectly, and became one of 2004's biggest. After the short, but breathtaking intro, comes Alicia's fourth single from Diary, Karma. One of the best tracks of the album, Karma is flawless and addictive from start to finish. Heartburn follows as it throws you back a few decades (I think!) and makes you wanna get up and dance! Another highlight is Alicia's third single of the album and the title track, Diary. A very relaxing, smooth r&b song that shows Alicia's mastery of her voice and the piano. While Dragon Days is leaving some people scratching their heads, I think it is a very interesting track and blends Alicia's soulful voice with some edgier music. Other highlights include Wake Up, the superb When You Really Love Someone, and Slow Down. My one complaint is that it doesn't have very many upbeat tracks and she doesn't sample more hip-hop material like Beyonce did. Beyonce's album starts with some hot hip-hop tracks and mellows out with ballads during the middle of the album and towards the end. I wish Alicia would have done the same and added a Naughty Girl or Baby Boy, but Diary is still a winning, hit formula. The album does have a few dry spots here and there, but all in all, a wonderfully crafted album that will satisfy any r&b fan! Very worthy of being one of 2004's biggest selling albums! Now I just hope she'll have a new album out soon or at least release one of those money-stealing re-releases (I'm desperate for a copy with the amazing Usher remix of If I Ain't Got You or one of my faves, My Boo)!
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