A Woman's Worth

Infobox Single
Name = A Woman's Worth


Artist = Alicia Keys
Album = Songs in A Minor
Released = February 12, 2002
Format = CD single, 12" maxi single
Recorded =
Genre = R&B, soul
Length = 5:03 (Album Version)
4:13 (Radio Edit)
Label = J
Writer = Alicia Keys, Erika Rose
Producer = Alicia Keys
Certification =
Last single = "Fallin'"
(2001)
This single = "A Woman's Worth"
(2002)
Next single = "How Come You Don't Call Me"
(2002)
Misc = Extra track listing
Album = Songs in A Minor
Type = studio
prev_track = "Rock wit U"
prev_no = 6
this_track = "A Woman's Worth"
track_no = 7
next_track = "Jane Doe"
next_no = 8 Extra track listing
altAlbum = Unplugged
Type = live
Length = 3:30
Label = J
prev_track = "Heartburn"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "A Woman's Worth" (Live)
track_no = 4
next_track = "Unbreakable"
next_no = 5

"A Woman's Worth" is an R&B–soul song written by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and Erika Rose for Keys' debut album, "Songs in A Minor" (2001). Released as the album's second single in February 2002, it was produced by Keys, won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song in the same year.

Release

"A Woman's Worth" was released in 2002, and reached number seven on the "Billboard" Hot 100.

At the 2002 Grammy Awards ceremony, Keys performed both "Fallin'" and a tango-influenced version of "A Woman's Worth". Keys took five Grammy Awards that night.

Music video

The single's music video, directed by Chris Robinson was a staple of BET and MTV2 in 2002. Unlike many other contemporary R&B videos, the video for "A Woman's Worth"'s video was a low-key clip with no dancing. It was nominated for Best R&B Video and Best Cinematography at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

Plot

The video's plot continues from Keys' previous video, "Fallin'".

As Keys' boyfriend is coming out of jail, he is filled with frustration because of his unsuccessful attempt at finding a job. In the meantime, Keys realizes that he is not paying much attention to her, therefore she is worried that her boyfriend is putting his job frustration first before his girlfriend, which Keys explains in the line, "You will lose if you choose to refuse to put her first."

The video opens with Keys walking down the street and singing "Fallin'" while listening to it in her headphones. A street kid sees her and joins her saying, "Hey yo shorty, what's up? You looking good today. So you gon' give me some time or what?" Keys responds, "What you talking about, shorty? What you know about a woman's worth?" The song starts right after that, showing Keys in her apartment, playing the piano and singing.

In the next shot, her boyfriend is frustrated that he could not find a job and so runs into his friends on the street, who mock his formal clothes. He comes home angrily, does not see Keys by the door, and passes by her.

The scene then jumps to an old lady walking down the street, struggling with her grocery bags. A young man comes behind her and helps her.

Back in Keys' apartment, both Keys and her boyfriend are sitting on the couch while she grooms him. In this particular scene, Keys sings the line, "I'll hold you down when it gets rough" (the original line, as heard on her album, is "I'll hold you down when shit gets rough").

The next scene shows the street kid from the beginning of the video having dinner with his parents. He sees that his parents are in conflict and they start to argue in front of the boy. The father then slams his plate of food into the floor and leaves home, leaving his wife in tears and the child in shock. He subsequently comes into his mother's bedroom so as to console her. Intercut shots show Keys outside an apartment building in a courtyard by herself with her piano while singing.

The boy then is walking down the street in the pouring rain at night when he sees Keys talking on a payphone. He shares his umbrella with her, and the two start walking together.

The video ends with Keys singing the final chorus of the song.

Personnel

Musicians

*Alicia Keys – lead vocals, backing vocals
*Arty White – guitar
*Paul L. Green – backing vocals

Production

*Alicia Keys – producer, arranger, drum programming
*Manny Marroquin – mixing

Charts

{| class="wikitable"!align="center"|Chart (2002)!align="center"|Peak
position
-
align="left"|Irish Singles Chart [cite web |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=The Irish Charts |accessdate=2008-03-18 |work=IRMA]
align="center"|25
-
align="left"|Italian FIMI Singles Chart
align="center"|29
-
align="left"|New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart
align="center"|5
-
align="left"|Norwegian Singles Chart
align="center"|14
-
align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart
align="center"|31
-
align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart
align="center"|32
-
align="left"|UK Singles Chart [cite web |url=http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=29799 |title=Chart Stats – Alicia Keys – A Woman's Worth |accessdate=2008-07-21 |work=Chart Stats]
align="center"|18
-
align="left"|UK R&B Singles Chart [cite web |url=http://www.mariah-charts.com/chartdata/PAliciaKeys.htm |title=Chart Data: Alicia Keys |accessdate=2008-02-22 |work=Mariah-Charts.com]
align="center"|3
-
align="left"|United World Chart [cite web |url=http://www.mediatraffic.de/week11-2002.htm |title=United World Chart – singles & airplay – week 11 / 2002 |accessdate=2008-04-08 |work=Media Traffic]
align="center"|21
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100
align="center"|7

References