Last year and this year there was a lot of hype and hoopla surrounding Alicia Keys, such as Clive Davis jiving about how talented and brilliant she is...after listening to her her album I'm not that impressed at all. I was expecting much more considering the hype...I hope that she'll kick my butt when her next album drops. As for Fiona Apple, I think she's the most underrated female musician out there, her debut album dropped in 97 and it was easily one of the top ten albums that year, her sophomore album is challenging both musically and lyrically...she's a great songwriter as well as a singer, her voice tone changing to match her emotions. Do you guys think that Alicia Keys early commercial success is a good thing or bad thing for her music career? Do you think she's overrated right now? I think so, I really hope she'll prove me wrong in her later albums.

aw35077 said:

yes I agree Alicia Keys is Over-Hyped now.there are only 99 Million people that can walk down the Street now&Play "Chop Sticks" on the Piano&another 101 that did it yesterday once they learned it.but that is what Promotion&Hype will buy you.She is getting over on many factors.Fiona Apple though I don't Own Her Albums I've Heard Her stuff&Give Her Props for doing Her thing.I don't think too Much Commerical Success off One Album is a Good thing unless you have been around for a while because those Kind of Numbers&Expectations are out of this World&you aren't ever gonna be that lucky twice.I Believe in Bigg Success but over time.

Alicia Keys is immensely over rated. There are a half dozen other female musicians way more talented then her. But alas she's got the Clive hype machine behind her and people are falling all over her.

Her second album will prove just how much staying powers she has. Odds are she'll be forgotten and the next overly hyped artist will take her place.

Don't get me wrong, I do think that Alicia Keys is talented.. but like Cmputrblu stated that there is a lot more female musicians out there that is way more talented..or they may have shown their talent. People get all crazy when they hear she plays classical piano...thats a great thing but it's no big deal.

aw35077 said:

Her album is a snoozer.



The woman is a nut. That rant she did on the award show where she kept dropping Maya Angelou's name is just one example. However, her first album was interesting. I really didn't see what the hoopla was over that video/song "Criminal". She looked like an under aged junkie in a teen soft porn flick. I don't recall hearing anything from the second album.



Alicia is getting over do to:

1. Clive Davis' publicity machine/industry pull
2. she's attractive
3. she's of the hip-hop generation
4. she can play an intrument and sing (not saying she's the next Aretha Franklin but she's not Ashanti/Brittany either.

It's too early to tell if Alicia is going to flame out after this album or not.

aw35077 said:

1. Hype will usually prove to be indicative of something not worth it.

2. As for being the most underrated musician out, I'd give that distinction to Meshell Ndegéocello.

3. To answer your question, I think Keys' massive success so soon will prove to be a drawback, whether she gets better or not. She'll always be expected to be commercially as good as her debut album.

4. I don't know if she's overrated or not. I've heard 2 or 3 songs from that album, but nothing jumped out at me. She has potential.

I've always kinda thought Fiona sounded kinda like a lamb or a sheep in some of her songs, but she has meaningful lyrics

CmputrBlu said:

It's already happening this year's hype award has go to go to ASHANTI...another snooze...

On the same note, have you all noticed how Norah Jones is getting a lot of media and all she has behind her is the tiny Blue Note Label...for the fans that went to the Celebration...how was Norah's live show?

I think Fiona Apple is sound.
Alicia...well i heard her album, a friend of mine was saying how great it was but in all honesty apart from Fallin' and the cover of one of little man's underrated gems (how come...) the album just bored me.

Maybe next time.

I've heard more potential from Alicia Key's live performances than from her album. To be fair, it is only her first album, but she really underacheived based on what I've seen in her televised performances

IMO, she needs to make sure that on her next album, she enlists the of some real musicians, much like Maxwell or Erykah have done. Neither of them appear to be instramentalists, but both seem to understand the need for great musicianship in their recordings.

I'm not really familiar with Fionna Apple's music, so I can't comment on her one way or the other.

Love both of Fiona's albums. Liked Alicia's too.

Wonder when Fiona will drop a new one...

I also love both of Fiona's albums. She has the ability to pack so much emotion into her songs which I really appreciate in an artist.

I don't think her website has been updated for a really long time. I think she's fallen off the planet which is sad because I've been waiting for a 3rd album.