Songs in A Minor

Infobox Album
Name = Songs in A Minor
Type = studio
Artist = Alicia Keys


Released = Start date|2001|6|5
(see release history)
Recorded = 1999–2001 at
Backroom Studios
(Glendale, California)
Battery Studios
(New York City, New York)
Doppler Studios
(Atlanta, Georgia)
KrucialKeys Studios
(New York City, New York)
Southside Studios
(Atlanta, Georgia)
The Hit Factory
(New York City, New York)
Unique Studios
(New York City, New York)
Genre = R&B, soul
Length = 63:04
Label = J
Producer = Alicia Keys (also executive), Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Jermaine Dupri, Brian McKnight, Kandi Burruss, Jimmy Cozier, Arden Altino, Miri Ben-Ari
Reviews = *Allmusic rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0aogtq2zpu44 link]
*CANOE "Jam!" [http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/K/Keys_Alicia/AlbumReviews/2001/07/08/771200.html link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (B) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,132664,00.html link]
*NME rating|9|10 [http://www.nme.com/reviews/alicia-keys/5498 link]
*PopMatters [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/k/keysalicia-songs.shtml link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/aliciakeys/albums/album/285564/review/5944858 link]
*Slant Magazine rating|3.5|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=107 link]
*Yahoo! Music UK rating|8|10 [http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/l_reviews_a/21489.html link]
This album = "Songs in A Minor"
(2001)
Next album = "The Diary of Alicia Keys"
(2003)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Type = studio


Lower caption = UK cover Extra album cover 2


Lower caption = "Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor" cover Singles
Name = Songs in A Minor
Type = studio
Single 1 = Fallin'
Single 1 date = July 10, 2001
Single 2 = A Woman's Worth
Single 2 date = February 12, 2002
Single 3 = How Come You Don't Call Me
Single 3 date = June 4, 2002
Single 4 = Girlfriend
Single 4 date = December 24, 2002

"Songs in A Minor" is the debut album by American R&B/soul singer and pianist Alicia Keys, released in June 2001 on J Records. Contrary to the album's title, only one song, "Jane Doe", is in the key of A minor. The title is a playful reference to Keys' youth.

The album debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200, selling over 236,000 copies in its first week. [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=943381 |title=Keys' Debut Tops The Billboard 200 |accessdate=2008-06-07 |last=Martens |first=Todd |date=July 5, 2001 |work=Billboard] To date, it has sold over six million copies in the United States and eleven million copies worldwide. [cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201967.html |title=Alicia Keys, Still Warming Up |accessdate=2008-10-04 |last=duLac |first=Josh Freedom |date=November 13, 2007 |work=The Washington Post] It also earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best R&B Album.

Track listing

#"Piano & I" (Alicia Keys) – 1:52
#"Girlfriend" (Keys, Jermaine Dupri, Joshua Thompson) – 3:34
#"How Come You Don't Call Me" (Prince) – 3:57
#"Fallin'" (Keys) – 3:30
#"Troubles" (Keys, Kerry Brothers, Jr.) – 4:28
#"Rock wit U" (Keys, Taneisha Smith, Brothers) – 5:36
#"A Woman's Worth" (Keys, Erika Rose) – 5:03
#"Jane Doe" (Keys, Kandi Burruss) – 3:48
#"Goodbye" (Keys) – 4:20
#"The Life" (Keys, Smith, Brothers) – 5:25
#"Mr. Man" (duet with Jimmy Cozier) (Keys, Jimmy Cozier) – 4:09
#"Never Felt This Way (Interlude)" (Brian McKnight) – 2:01
#"Butterflyz" (Keys) – 4:08
#"Why Do I Feel So Sad" (Keys, Warryn Campbell) – 4:25
#"Caged Bird" (Keys) – 3:02
#"Lovin U" (hidden track) (Keys) – 3:49

Japanese edition

#

"Rear View Mirror" (Keys, Brothers, L. Green, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels) – 4:06
#"Fallin'" (Extended Remix featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:18
#"A Woman's Worth" (Remix Radio Edit) – 4:24

UK edition

#

"Fallin'" (Remix featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:15
#"A Woman's Worth" (Remix) – 3:20
#"Lovin U" (hidden track) – 3:49

"Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor"

Following the release of "Songs in A Minor", Keys released "Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor" (issued in some countries as "Songs in A Minor: Remixed & Unplugged") on October 22, 2002, an alternative version to the album containing some of the original tracks remixed and/or unplugged.

Track listing

Remixed

#"Girlfriend" (KrucialKeys Sista Girl Mix) – 3:27
#"Gangsta Lovin'" (Eve featuring Alicia Keys) (Alisa Yarbrough, Jonah Ellis, Lonnie Simmons) – 3:59
#*Contains elements of Yarbrough and Peoples' "Don't Stop the Music" (Alisa Yarbrough, Jonah Ellis, Lonnie Simmons).
#"Fallin'" (Remix featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 3:56
#"A Woman's Worth" (Remix) – 3:20
#"Butterflyz" (Roger's Release Mix) – 3:54
#"Troubles" (J-Jay & Chris Lum Bootleg Mix) – 4:24
#"How Come You Don't Call Me" (Neptunes Remix) – 4:23
#"Fallin'" ("Ali" Version) – 4:30

Unplugged

Recorded on August 10, 2002 at KeyArena, Seattle, Washington.

#

"Moonlight Sonata/L'Interludio, Ambivalente/Ain't Misbehavin'" (Beethoven, Ray Chew, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller) – 2:22
#"Goodbye" – 2:49
#"Never Felt This Way" (McKnight, Brandon Barnes) – 1:45
#"Butterflyz" – 0:52
#"Caged Bird" – 2:03
#"I Got a Little Something for You" (Keys) – 1:45
#"Someday We'll All Be Free" (Donny Hathaway, Edward Howard) – 6:24

ingles chronology

#"Fallin'"
#"A Woman's Worth"
#"How Come You Don't Call Me"
#"Girlfriend"

*The debut single, "Fallin'", stayed at number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for six weeks, while the second single, "A Woman's Worth", reached the top ten on the same chart. These singles were the most successful releases from the album.
*"How Come You Don't Call Me", the album's third single, was a cover of Prince's 1982 "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?".
*The final single, "Girlfriend", was released only in Europe, Canada, and Australia, but not in the United States.
*"Butterflyz" was not a single but is notable as being the first song Keys ever wrote, at age fourteen.

Personnel

Musicians

*Alicia Keys – lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, instrumentation, piano concept
*A & C Productions – strings
*Arden Altino – keyboards
*Miri Ben-Ari – violin, keyboards, strings
*Kandi Burruss – backing vocals
*Cato – guitar concept
*Brian Cox – keyboards
*Gerald "G" Flowers – guitar
*Reggie Flowers – fills
*Vic Flowers – bass
*Richie Good – bass, double bass
*Paul L. Green – backing vocals
*Andricka Hall – backing vocals
*Isaac Hayes – Rhodes piano
*Norman Hedman – percussion
*Rufus Jackson – bass
*Brian McKnight – instrumentation
*Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals
*John Peters – organ
*Tammy Saunders – backing vocals
*Tim Shider – bass, bass concept
*Arty White – guitar

Production

*Alicia Keys – producer, executive producer, arranger, digital programming, vocal arrangement, string arrangements
*Allie – creative director, art director
*Arden Altino – producer
*Miri Ben-Ari – producer
*Kerry "Krucial" Brothers – producer, digital programming, drum programming, engineer, production concept
*Gerry Brown – engineer, mixing
*Kandi Burruss – producer, arranger
*Ralph Cacciuri – engineer
*Jimmy Cozier – producer
*Clive Davis – executive producer
*Jermaine Dupri – producer
*Tony Duran – photography
*Peter Edge – executive producer
*Russ Elevado – mixing
*Brian Frye – engineer
*Isaac Hayes – string arrangements, flute arrangements
*Ricky St. Hillaire – engineer
*Acar Key – engineer
*Manny Marroquin – mixing
*Tony Maserati – mixing
*Brian McKnight – producer
*Anthony Nance – drum programming
*Nowhere – design, logo design
*Herb Powers, Jr. – mastering
*Jeff Robinson – executive producer, management
*Mary Ann Souza – assistant engineer
*Phil Tan – mixing
*Dionne Webb – hair
*Patti Wilson – stylist
*Kela Wong – make-up
*Chris Wood – engineer

Charts

Certifications

*6× platinum::flagicon|United States RIAA: 6,133,724 [cite web |url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |title=RIAA – Searchable Database |accessdate=2008-04-18 |date=November 7, 2003 |work=RIAA] [cite web |url=http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1222786#1222786 |title=Catalog Albums |accessdate=2008-04-19 |date=April 17, 2008 |work=UKMIX]

*5× platinum::flagicon|Canada CRIA: 500,000 [cite web |url=http://www.cria.ca/gold/0702_g.php |title=CRIA: Gold & Platinum – July 2002 |accessdate=2008-04-18 |date=July 2, 2002 |work=CRIA]

*3× platinum::flagicon|United Kingdom BPI: 900,000 [cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=30462 |title=UK Certified Awards |accessdate=2008-04-18 |date=November 1, 2002 |work=BPI] ::flagicon|Europe IFPI: 3,000,000 [cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat_month_20050112.html |title=December 2004 – Platinum Europe Awards |accessdate=2008-04-18 |date=January 10, 2005 |work=IFPI]

*2× platinum::flagicon|Switzerland IFPI: 80,000 [cite web |url=http://swisscharts.com/awards.asp?year=2002 |title=Swiss Certifications – Awards 2002 |accessdate=2008-04-19 |work=SwissCharts.com] ::flagicon|Netherlands NVPI: 120,000 [cite web |url=http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=61112&documentid=1235620&zoekform=60463&formposted=yes |title=Goud/Platina |accessdate=2008-04-19 |work=NVPI |language=Dutch] ::flagicon|Australia ARIA: 140,000 [cite web |url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-2002.htm |title=ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Albums |accessdate=2008-04-18 |work=ARIA]
*Platinum::flagicon|New Zealand RIANZ: 15,000 [cite web |url=http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp |title=New Zealand Top 40 Albums (see "Chart #1217 – Sunday 9 July 2000") |accessdate=2008-04-19 |work=RIANZ] ::flagicon|Sweden IFPI: 40,000 [cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.se/goldplatinum.aspx |title=IFPI Sweden – Guld & Platina (see "År 2002") |accessdate=2008-04-18 |work=IFPI |language=Swedish] ::flagicon|France SNEP: 351,000 [cite web |url=http://www.disqueenfrance.com/certifications/album.asp?forme_certif=12&annee=20 |title=Les certifications Albums – Année 2003 – Platine |accessdate=2008-04-19 |date=January 22, 2003 |work=SNEP |language=French] [cite web |url=http://fanofmusic.free.fr/Site-Charts-ParcoursAlbum-A.htm |title=Parcours Album |accessdate=2008-05-11 |work=Fan Of Music |language=French] ::flagicon|Germany IFPI: 200,000 [cite web |url=http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank.html |title=Gold/Platin-Datenbank |accessdate=2008-04-19 |work=Bundesverband Musikindustrie |language=German]

*Gold::flagicon|Austria IFPI: 10,000 [cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin |title=IFPI Austria – Gold & Platin Datenbank |accessdate=2008-04-19 |date=November 29, 2001 |work=IFPI |language=German] ::flagicon|Belgium IFPI: 10,000 [cite web |url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/weekchart.asp?year=2002&date=20020302&cat=a |title=Ultratop 50 Albums – 02/03/2002 |accessdate=2008-04-19 |work=Ultratop |language=Dutch] ::flagicon|Norway IFPI: 15,000 [cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.no/sok/index_trofe.htm |title=IFPI Norway – Searchable Database |accessdate=2008-04-19 |work=IFPI |language=Norwegian]

Release history

References

succession box one to two
before = "Devil's Night" by D12
title1 = U.S. "Billboard" 200 number-one album (first run)
years1 = July 14, 2001
after1 = "Devil's Night" by D12
title2 = U.S. "Billboard" 200 number-one album (second run)
years2 = July 28, 2001 – August 4, 2001
after2 = "Celebrity" by 'N Syncsuccession box
before = "Alle Kleuren" by K3
title = Dutch Albums Chart number-one album
years = September 15, 2001 – September 22, 2001
after = "V" by Live