Simply saying that Alicia Keys writes and sings empowerment anthems doesn't do her 15 Grammy Awards justice. She doesn't just craft music that inspires and resonates with her legions of loyal fans, she throws her passion and her experiences into every note of every song. And in listening to Alicia's music, we can find the motivation to power through the worst.
Whether it's letting go of a bad relationship, reclaiming your fire within, or navigating the unique dynamic of a blended family, Alicia writes about the universal truths of a life well-lived that's still figuring it out. Because with each day and each moment, we're all trying to untangle the mess and be the girl on fire we wish to see in the world.
Luckily, Alicia Keys understands and has composed a body of work to turn to when you're feeling less like a superwoman and more like a caged bird. Sometimes when we don't believe we could possibly make it to the other side of a hard time, we need the guiding words of our family, friends, or favorite musician who's been through it, too.
In honor of the release of her sixth album, Here, celebrate and fight the good fight with 10 Alicia Keys songs that prove you can get through anything.
1. "Go Ahead"
When you're faced with a toxic relationship and ready to set someone's lies aflame, listen to "Go Ahead." The confident opening cut from Alicia's 2007 album As I Am, which explored both sides of relationships, closes the book on a bad romance with a stomping battle cry: "Let me tell you right now what I'm gonna do. Made up my mind, it's time, and I'm through with you."
2. "Wait Til You See My Smile"
Dealing with any combination of anxiety, depression, or any other personally debilitating distress can be isolating enough as it is. But sometimes, the people around you just don't get what you're working through inside. They might doubt your strength or cast you aside, but wait 'til they see your smile: "When your head is in a certain place, nobody around to make you safe, stand strong and you will grow."
3. "New Day"
Alicia's 2012 album Girl On Fire picked up where The Element of Freedom's contemplation left off with songs of self-assurance. Of course, there's the arena-ready anthem "Girl On Fire," but Alicia also wrote an ode to leaving limitations behind to seize every moment out of life: "Clock's on the wall, it's now or never at all. I'm gonna give it my all, whether I rise or fall, I'm gonna give it my all."
4. "Holy War"
During an especially contentious year, it was a stunning moment at the MTV Video Music Awards when Alicia took the stage to present and performed a spoken word poem. As it turns out, the socially-aware song became "Holy War," the beautiful final cut on Here: "What if love is holy and hate obscene? We should give life to this beautiful dream, 'cause peace and love ain't so far if we nurse our wounds before they scar."
5. "Caged Bird"
Songs In A Minor, Alicia's debut album, features the hit song "Fallin'" and the important anthem "A Woman's Worth," but the quiet ballad "Caged Bird" relates to the feeling of being confined and pressured to fall in line and become stripped of individuality: "They don't know what they're doing to me, keeping me from flying. That's why I know why the caged bird sings, only joy comes from song."
6. "Lesson Learned"
Whether it's a messy breakup, a failed attempt at moving forward, or a bump in the road of growing up, we can always extract a meaningful lesson from our struggles. Alicia sings about heartbreak and the levity to be gained from it on "Lesson Learned": "It's called the past 'cause I'm getting past, and I ain't nothing like I was before. You ought to see me now."
7. "Karma"
No matter how intently we try to avoid it, anger will knock into us like a wall. Anger toward others, toward the person who betrayed you, toward yourself--it'll rock you with a fury. But we have to remember that as quickly as it washed over us, it'll wash away. Because whoever hurt you will have their day: "What goes around comes around, what goes up must come down. Now who's cryin', desirin', to come back to me?"
8. "28 Thousand Days"
Much like "New Day," the non-album track "28 Thousand Days" finds Alicia calling for an end to fear, hate, and letting life pass you by. We all get caught up in our pasts, our regrets, the things we should have done or could have done if only we... Fill in the blank with a reason punctuated by a heavy sigh. Stop letting the past weigh you down and keep moving forward: "Back from hell with my angel wings. Ain't no fear in my voice 'cause I'm making a choice."
9. "Superwoman"
"Every time I sing it, it makes me feel inspired to be however I am that day," Alicia once said of "Superwoman," her one of two Grammy-winning singles from As I Am. And that's an incredible message to assign to the song. Although its intended message is for women to stand strong in the face of inequality, we can all take away the message to be whoever we are on any given day, even if we don't feel super: "Even when I'm a mess, I still put on my vest with an 'S' on my chest."
10. "How It Feels To Fly"
When we're at our lowest point, unable to glimpse the inevitable brightness up ahead, the one thing we never accept or realize is the strength in our weakness. Even when we're lost, we can still practice the foresight to take risks because that's the only way we'll be found--or find whatever it is we're searing for: "If I can touch the sky, I'd risk to fall just to know how it feels to fly."
