As I Am Debuts at Number One
Alicia Keys Delivers Again with Fourth Solo Album
Alicia Key's fourth solo project garners her a number one spot on the Billboard charts.
When artist Alicia Keys announced that she would be releasing her fourth solo album, fans waited anxiously to cop it as soon as it hit store shelves. They must have came out in abundance because her latest album release, "As I Am," debuted at the top of the charts, having sold over 742,000 copies in one week. The album release broke the record of having the biggest selling debut that was originally set by the original Queen of Soul Mary J. Blige's album, "The Breakthrough."
Keys' first single off her new album, No One has received rave reviews and is currently sitting at the top on the Billboard Top 100 Singles.
From the very beginning, the singer/songwriter was bound for greatness. At the mere age of 4, she began taking classical piano lessons and graduated as the valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts High School in New York City when she was 16.
The J Records artist changed the world of R&B music and stepped the game up with her debut album, "Songs in A Minor." With hits like Fallin' and A Woman's Worth, she sold over 11 million units making her the best-selling new artist in 2001 and an undeniable force to reckon with.
Since the beginning of her career, she has released hit after hit, such as You Don't Know My Name, If I Ain't Got You, Unbreakable and My Boo, a duet with singer Usher. Throughout her career, she has been honored for her ability to entertainment her fans and has numerous awards to show for it, including 9 Grammys, 11 Billboard Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards and a host of others.
In November 2005, the New Yorker laid her words out in book form when she released a book of poetry entitled, "Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics."
Keys' talent exceeds her abilities on the mic and on the piano and has been fortunate enough to plant the seeds for a budding career in Tinseltown. She appeared in the 2006 action flick, Smokin Aces with actors Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Jeremy Piven and rapper Common and also appeared in this year's The Nanny Diaries with actress Scarlett Johansson.
She is also a very devout philanthropist by participating in numerous charities including the fight against the AIDS epidemic. Alicia Keys is a true gem and her talents have sealed a spot for her in not just R&B history but in music history period.
Sources
Billboard Singles Charts-Billboard Top 100 Songs
Billboard Album Sales Chart
