The Diary of Alicia Keys

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The Diary of Alicia Keys
The Diary of Alicia Keys cover
Studio album by Alicia Keys
Released December 1, 2003 (2003-12-01)
(see release history)
Recorded 2002–2003 at
Hit Factory Criteria
(Miami, Florida)
Kampo Studios
(New York City, New York)
KrucialKeys Studios
(New York City, New York)
Plus XXX
(Paris)
Quad Recording Studios
(New York City, New York)
The Hit Factory
(New York City, New York)
Sarm West Studios
(London)
Genre R&B, soul
Length 57:45 (standard)
16:37 (bonus CD)
Label J
Producer Alicia Keys (also executive), Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Kanye West, Timbaland, Dre & Vidal, Easy Mo Bee, D'wayne "D. Wigg" Wiggins, Kumasi
Professional reviews
Alicia Keys chronology
Songs in A Minor
(2001)		 The Diary of Alicia Keys
(2003)		 Unplugged
(2005)
Alternate cover
Australian/German/Latin American bonus-CD edition cover
Australian/German/Latin American bonus-CD edition cover
Singles from The Diary of Alicia Keys
  1. "You Don't Know My Name"
    Released: November 18, 2003
  2. "If I Ain't Got You"
    Released: February 24, 2004
  3. "Diary"
    Released: June 2004
  4. "Karma"
    Released: October 26, 2004

The Diary of Alicia Keys is the Grammy Award-winning second studio album by American R&B/soul singer and pianist Alicia Keys, released on December 2, 2003 in the United States (see 2003 in music). In 2005, it went on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album as well as earning Keys other two awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Ain't Got You" and Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name."

The album includes the hit singles "You Don't Know My Name" (produced by Kanye West), "If I Ain't Got You," "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!), and "Karma." It became Keys' second consecutive number-one debut on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of over 618,000 copies.[1] In addition, the album has sold over four million copies in the United States and more than nine million copies worldwide.[2]

Contents

[edit] Background

Due to the extreme popularity of her debut album, Songs in A Minor, there was a lot of pressure to the album to match or exceed that success.[3]

[edit] Critical reception

Of The Diary of Alicia Keys, Josh Tyrangiel of Time said that Keys "made half a great record. The first six songs are models of how to make nostalgic music that is not anti-present... The second half of Diary sags." He added, however, that it was "obvious" that subsequent albums would "be worth hearing."[4] Giving the album four stars, People magazine said that "Keys honors R&B's golden age with an old soul far beyond her 23 years."[5] Billboard magazine felt that "the songstress handily tops Songs in A Minor," and "channels spirits of '60s and '70s soul for Diary."[6] Rolling Stone called the album "an assured, adult statement, steeped in the complicated love life and musical dreams of an ambitious young woman," and compared Keys to Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin.[7] ABC News said that "If I Ain't Got You" is "a stunner of a ballad on which Keys' sound and vocal inflection recalled another one of Davis' famous proteges: Whitney Houston."[8]

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Harlem's Nocturne" (Alicia Keys) – 1:43
  2. "Karma" (Kerry Brothers, Jr., Taneisha Smith, Keys) – 4:16
  3. "Heartburn" (Keys, Tim Mosley, Walter Millsap III, Candice Nelson, Erika Rose) – 3:28
  4. "If I Was Your Woman/Walk on By" 1 (Gloria Jones, Clarence McMurray, Pam Sawyer, Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 3:06
  5. "You Don't Know My Name" 2 (Keys, Kanye West, Harold Lilly, James Ralph Bailey, Mel Kent, Ken Williams) – 6:06
  6. "If I Ain't Got You" (Keys) – 3:48
  7. "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!) (Keys, Brothers) – 4:44
  8. "Dragon Days" (Keys) – 4:36
  9. "Wake Up" (Keys, Brothers) – 4:27
  10. "So Simple" (featuring Lellow) (Keys, Lilly, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis) – 3:49
  11. "When You Really Love Someone" (Keys, Brothers) – 4:09
  12. "Feeling U, Feeling Me (Interlude)" (Keys) – 2:07
  13. "Slow Down" (Keys, L. Green, Rose) – 4:18
  14. "Samsonite Man" (Keys, Rose) – 4:12
  15. "Nobody Not Really" (Keys, Smith) – 2:56

[edit] Bonus DVD

Released December 2, 2003

  1. "The Diary"

[edit] UK and Japanese edition

  1. "Streets of New York" 3 (featuring Nas and Rakim) (Keys, Smith, Eric Barrier, William Griffin, Nasir Jones, Chris Martin) – 4:55

1 Contains excerpts of Gladys Knight & the Pips' "If I Were Your Woman" written by Gloria Jones, Clarence McMurray, and Pam Sawyer; and Isaac Hayes' "Walk on By" written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
2 Contains excerpts and a sample of The Main Ingredient's "Let Me Prove My Love to You" written by James Ralph Bailey and Mel Kent.
3 Contains a sample of Nas' "N.Y. State of Mind" written by Nasir Jones and Chris Martin.

[edit] Australian, German, Latin American, and Japanese bonus CD

  1. "If I Ain't Got You" (Remix featuring Usher) – 3:52
  2. "If I Ain't Got You" (Spanish Version featuring Arturo Sandoval) – 3:53
  3. "If I Ain't Got You" (Kanye West Radio Mix #1) – 3:47
  4. "You Don't Know My Name/Will You Ever Know It" (Reggae Mix) – 5:05
  5. "You Don't Know My Name" (Video)
  6. "If I Ain't Got You" (Video)
  7. "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!) (Video)

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Musicians

  • Sanford Allen – violin
  • Elijah Baker – bass
  • Julien Barber – viola
  • Pablo Batista – percussion
  • Richard Brice – viola
  • Kurt Briggs – violin
  • Avril Brown – violin
  • Fred Cash – bass
  • Robert Chausow – viola
  • Ronnie Drayton – guitar
  • Marisol Espada – cello
  • Barry Finclair – viola
  • Eileen Folson – cello
  • Onree Gill – organ
  • Stanley Hunte – violin
  • Steven Jordan – drums
  • Paul Alexandre John – drums
  • Gwendolyn Laster – violin
  • Lori Miller – violin
  • Caryl Paisner – cello
  • Marion Pinheiro – violin
  • Ricky Quinones – guitar
  • Artie Reynolds – bass
  • Timothy Christian Riley – piano
  • Maxine Roach – viola
  • Joe Romano – horn
  • John Jubu Smith – guitar
  • Dale Stuckenbruck – violin
  • Peter Vanderwater – viola
  • Arcel Vickers – organ
  • Alexander Vselensky – violin
  • Willie Weeks – bass
  • Artie White – guitar
  • Xin Zhao – violin

[edit] Production

  • Executive producers: Peter Edge, Alicia Keys & Jeff Robinson
  • Producer: Dre & Vidal, Rich Harrison, Kanye West, Timbaland, Easy Mo Bee, Alicia Keys, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers
  • Vocal assistance: Katreese Barnes, Andricka Hall, Harold Lilly, John Legend, L. Green, Cindy Mizelle, Jermaine Paul
  • Engineers: Tony Black, Vincent Dilorenzo, Ann Mincieli, Walter Millsap
  • Assistant engineers: Alan Ford, Dan Gautreau, Rabeka Tuinei
  • Mixing: Tony Black, Russell Elevado, Manny Marroquin, Tony Maserati, Patrick Viala
  • Mastering: Herb Powers

[edit] Charts

Chart (2003)[9][10][11] Peak
position
Belgian Ultratop 50 Albums (Flanders) 13
Belgian Ultratop 50 Albums (Wallonia)[12] 25
Canadian Albums Chart 15
Dutch Albums Chart 2
French Albums Chart 5
German Albums Chart 10
Irish Albums Chart 37
Norwegian Albums Chart 7
Swiss Albums Chart 1
UK Albums Chart 13
United World Chart 1
U.S. Billboard 200 1
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 1
U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums 2
U.S. Billboard Comprehensive Albums[13] 1
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart 25
Brazilian Albums Chart 18
Danish Albums Chart 16
Finnish Albums Chart 9
Italian Albums Chart 20
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart 25
Portuguese Albums Chart 23
Swedish Albums Chart 24
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart 22
European Top 100 Albums[14] 55

[edit] Certifications

  • 4× platinum
Flag of the United States RIAA: 4,000,000[15]
  • 2× platinum
Flag of Canada CRIA: 200,000[16]
  • Gold
Flag of New Zealand RIANZ: 7,500[17]
Flag of Norway IFPI: 15,000[18]
Flag of Sweden IFPI: 20,000[19]
Flag of France SNEP: 438,000[20][21]
  • Platinum
Flag of Argentina CAPIF: 40,000[22]
Flag of Switzerland IFPI: 40,000[23]
Flag of the Netherlands NVPI: 60,000[24]
Flag of Australia ARIA: 70,000[25]
Flag of Germany IFPI: 200,000[26]
Flag of the United Kingdom BPI: 300,000[27]
Flag of Europe IFPI: 1,000,000[28]

[edit] Release history

Country Date Label
United Kingdom December 1, 2003 J
Germany J
France J
Australia J
United States December 2, 2003 J
Canada Sony Music Canada
Japan December 12, 2003 BMG Japan

[edit] References

  1. ^ Martens, Todd (December 10, 2003). Keys Unlocks Second No. 1 Debut. Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
  2. ^ Iwuagwu, Chibuzor (September 30, 2004). The Diary of Alicia Keys re-releases this fall. The Equinox. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  3. ^ Norment, Lynn. "Alicia Keys: sounds off on men, love & fame." Ebony 59.3 (Jan 2004): 134(4). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Hampton University Library. 26 Nov. 2007 <http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM>.
  4. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (2003-12-08), "The Princess of Queens". Time. 162 (23):89
  5. ^ Arnold, Chuck (2003-12-08), "The Diary Of Alicia Keys". People. 60 (23):47
  6. ^ Paoletta, Michael (2003-12-13). "The Diary of Alicia Keys". Billboard. 115 (50):44
  7. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2003-12-25-2004-01-08), "Alicia Keys". Rolling Stone(938/939):124
  8. ^ ABC News: What's Alicia Keys' Secret Weapon?
  9. ^ The Diary of Alicia Keys > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  10. ^ Alicia Keys – The Diary Of Alicia Keys – Music Charts. αCharts.us. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  11. ^ Chart Data: Alicia Keys. Mariah-Charts.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  12. ^ ultratop.be – Alicia Keys – The Diary Of Alicia Keys (French). Ultratop. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  13. ^ Billboard Comprehensive Albums. Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  14. ^ European Top 100 Albums. Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  15. ^ RIAA – Searchable Database. RIAA (March 28, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  16. ^ CRIA: Gold & Platinum – February 2005. CRIA. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  17. ^ New Zealand Top 40 Albums (see "Chart #1427 – Monday 27 September 2004"). RIANZ. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  18. ^ IFPI Norway – Searchable Database (Norwegian). IFPI. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  19. ^ IFPI Sweden – Guld & Platina (see "År 2005") (Swedish). IFPI. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  20. ^ Les certifications Albums – Année 2005 – Or (French). SNEP (June 29, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  21. ^ Parcours Album (French). Fan Of Music. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
  22. ^ Discos de Oro y Platino (Spanish). CAPIF (December 1, 2003). Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  23. ^ Swiss Certifications – Awards 2003. SwissCharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  24. ^ Goud/Platina (Dutch). NVPI. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  25. ^ ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Albums. ARIA. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  26. ^ Gold/Platin-Datenbank (German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  27. ^ UK Certified Awards. BPI (December 5, 2003). Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  28. ^ March 2004 – Platinum Europe Awards. IFPI (January 10, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
Preceded by
The Black Album by Jay-Z		 U.S. Billboard 200 number-one album (first run)
December 20, 2003		 Succeeded by
Soulful by Ruben Studdard
Preceded by
In the Zone by Britney Spears		 United World Chart number-one album
December 20, 2003		 Succeeded by
Life for Rent by Dido
Preceded by
It's Done! by Overground		 Swiss Albums Chart number-one album
December 21, 2003
Preceded by
Soulful by Ruben Studdard		 U.S. Billboard 200 number-one album (second run)
January 3, 2004		 Succeeded by
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast
v • d • e
Alicia Keys
Albums
Songs in A Minor · The Diary of Alicia Keys · As I Am
Other albums
Singles
Other singles
Filmography
Related articles