The very beginning is cut off.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DTRrpxxNr5A

Here is a fuller version of the song.

http://www.myspace.com/dcapelomusic

it's very pretty, I like it

It's cool.

alphastreet said:

I like it too. It seems to be getting mixed reviews so far. I just can't wait to see her perform it.

I like it. Way to experiment Alicia!!

Why did she have to come back? Her lyrics sound more uninspired than ever and this song is blander than baby food.
But I'm sure she'll be on heavy rotation this fall and everyone will be chantin her lame ass hook and calling her a musical genius (again). Oh joy.

typo
[Edited 8/29/07 1:54am]

feelin it

She’s a little too loud from the first verse on and not crazy about the key. I prefer That’s The Thing About Love.

Someone's been listening to Keyshia Cole.

Her vocals sound bad...even more forced than usual.

JackieBlue said:

I've never heard of people liking or not liking (musical) keys. You really prefer a song in the key of, say, C Major, than one in A minor? Not trying to be sassy, I just find it really interesting...

JackieBlue said:

I really like That's The Thing About Love too. I also like Alicia's simplicity. I understand what she's trying to say and where she's going in this song, or atleast I have an idea.

i love ALICIA but she hit me more with her second release than the first. Before the first album there was so much HYPE and i tend to stay away when someone is hyped like that with nothing out to prove it, then i heard the album and i didnt really get into it, but on her second album i did, just for HEARTBURN alone that cd was worth it. Alicia had that undercover Sex Appeal, some women throw it at you, Alicia made you look for it, and her attitude live makes you want her. Its very hard to explain it, but not too many female performers can pull it off like that.

MendesCity said:

Well, when I try to figure out what I don’t like about a song or while I’ll like the verse and not the chorus or bridge, I began to realize it’s usually a chord change or a certain key that the song is written in. I tend to like naturals and sharps over flats and there are certain chords that really resonate with me more than others. Songs using those chords can really touch me deeply. A song like Benny and the Jets is a perfect example. While it’s also a great song, every note and chord in that song resonates strongly with me. I use to know the notes and chords off the top of my head but now I’d have to sit at a piano.

I also notice there are certain artists that tend to sing or compose in certain keys, which is why I like the majority of their music while others delve into notes I’m not crazy about. It doesn’t completely ruin a song for me, it makes it less likable. I'm quirky that way.

Why are so few people pointing out the fact that the girl's voice is diasappearing? She's sounding seriously strained here. And this is an official studio track. What's it gona sound like live? Seems like every other thread I'm talking about singers who can't sing no more, Lauryn Hill, MJ, and now Alicia. Only thing is Alicia is young to be losing it. Even MJ didn't really start to slip until he hit his 30s.

As for the song, it's the usual uninspired, derivative fare you expect from Alicia. Those of us who stood back appalled at the ludicrous praise she got when she first came out can just sit back and smile. The fools who called her "the Beethoven, Prince, and Stevie Wonder of her time" (I'm not making that up, check out LL Cool J introducing her on the MTV Awards as well as numerous puff pieces she got from hacks in the press) and the even bigger fools who took that shit seriously have been left with egg on their face, since everyone knows now that this woman is a fake through and through. Nothing to say. No vision. No originality. Just a hollow pose.

I noticed it but didn’t want to sound like I was just bashing her for the heck of it. I know she gets a lot of it and personally, I think a lot of it is J Records fault than hers but I digress. I can’t believe they let her vocals fly on this. Maybe they think it has an appealing sound to it but to me it sounds like someone who needs to get with a vocal coach quick before there’s no saving her.

Why does it seem that people think because they can carry a tune or have a good voice that they don’t need to take lessons or get coaching? Like any instrument, you practice and you care for it like it’s made of gold (particularly if it’s it your livelihood) and you learn how to use it properly.

midnightmover said:

co-sign

and let me add that Alicia has never had much of a voice. She has been straining since she came out. It boggles my mind that she rarely gets criticized for that.

midnightmover said:

Something is going on with her voice, but she ususally goes through periods like this, however, it's never showcased on records. Her voice was top notch at the beginning of this year when she was on Oprah singing with Bono, but now it's totally different.

She's no different from other hyped artists of this generation. Usher and Justin are the next Micheal. Beyonce is the next Tina/Diana. Andre is the next Prince. I dont know why Alicia gets such a hard time with her comparisons.

Also, what is up with everyone singing so loud from beginning to end? I blame Beyonce j/k but seriously do they not know about soft and loud and all the levels in between? She plays piano, she should know about pianissimo and apply it to this song.

These songs are just a constant bombardment to my eardrums. Even if some are good or have a decent beat the constant loud vocals is too much.

JackieBlue said:

Yeah i totally agree, i know its not Beyonce's fault BUT i do blame these so-called Vocal coaches in RB/POP that coach female artists, one of them is named POOH BEAR, that says it all with that name. But i saw him coaching Aubrey O Day from Danity Kane and he was telling her to sing exactly that way.

JackieBlue said:

I agree that a lot of the blame should to go to her record company for promoting her as the Mozart of popular music. She is bland, boring, and attractive. Three characteristics essential to succeeding in this business, it seems. I miss entertainers being daring.

Rodya24 said:

She's a very good performer though. I think that adds alot to her success.

dragondayz said:

Yes, I agree. While this is not saying much, I also think she is more talented than a number of other artists in mainstream music. But she is not a musical genius....

I think her 15 minutes are up.

dragondayz said:

Yeah i totally agree, she is one of a very few to come out of this decade that seems to be developing as an artist, some may say boring but i dont see that at all, as she progresses i have found her more and more interesting. I really want to see her OUT of the mainstream and getting more down and dirty, tht would be my advice to her, but shes young and that comes with time, i think she is def an artist that will challenge the listener as she goes on.

Damn, there's some ignorance on show here. Either ignorance or just low standards. Alicia Keys is NOT a "very good performer". Why? Because she exudes smugness whenever she performs, and not the cool, stylised smugness of a Morris Day or Prince when he's in pimp mode, but a graceless overexcited smugness. When she sings ballads you can just see her thinking "Look at me, aren't I soulful? I mean this you know. I really do!" Except she doesn't. That's the problem. And that fakeness hovers around her like a bad fart that never disappears.

midnightmover said:

100% correct.

midnightmover said:

All she does is sit at the piano anyway. If you've seen ONE Alicia performance, you've seen them all. And anytime she tries to get up & shake her ass...she looks ridiculous. From what I have seen, there never seems to be any variation of the way she interprets her songs live. Singing a song the same way note-for-note each & every time gets a little monotonous and predictable. It's like listening to the retail cd.

midnightmover said:

Anyway, here are some of my favorite performances from her. Yes, there may be moments when she's not feeling it, and it comes off as fake or not really inspired, but there's alot of moments where she's sincere and it connects. I don't think she's boring to watch live and she has stage presence, confidence, and energy. If you don't mind, can you post some of your favorite performances of rnb/soul artists?
http://www.youtube.com/wa...hPAK8HjcPI
http://www.youtube.com/wa...4uJi27HJEI
http://www.youtube.com/wa...0DpcozNImk
http://www.youtube.com/wa...EGmNWlD27M
[Edited 8/29/07 14:39pm]