Girl on Fire
by Alicia Keys
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Nov 27, 2012
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
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  1. Billboard.com
    Nov 26, 2012
    86
    Her fifth and arguably most consistent album to date.
  2. Uncut
    Dec 11, 2012
    80
    Her technical brilliance remains stunning; it's now matched by her maturity and modernity. [Jan 2013, p.74]
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  3. BBC Music
    Nov 30, 2012
    80
    Girl on Fire is a smart album, maintaining the high standards set on The Element of Freedom.
  5. Boston Globe
    Nov 27, 2012
    80
    Keys has rarely ever sounded so at ease, so downright sensual, as she does as her latest.
  6. Rolling Stone
    Nov 27, 2012
    80
    The result is both her catchiest and subtlest album yet--and one of the best R&B records of 2012.
  7. The Telegraph (UK)
    Nov 26, 2012
    80
    She wants to deliver good, solid, heartfelt slabs of it. And on those terms, her fifth studio album is her best record in years.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Dec 4, 2012
    75
    Like Stevie Wonder--who could throw together cloying ballads, funky grooves and reggae homages--Keys is willing to probe her oeuvre and now her own self for songs that resonate beneath the surface.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    Nov 21, 2012
    75
    Some of Girl on Fire's best moments come down to just Keys and her piano.
  10. Pitchfork
    Dec 4, 2012
    71
    "New Day" has a transformative effect within the album, whose middle is as strong as any sequence of songs Keys has recorded.
  11. Spin
    Dec 11, 2012
    70
    Less of an anthemic, balls-to-the-wall affair than Elements of Freedom (still her strongest album overall), this one does have its own liberating, empowering charms.
  12. HipHopDX
    Dec 10, 2012
    70
    Girl On Fire pushes her superb writing skills forward without losing what makes Alicia Keys the artist she promised to be 11 years ago.
  13. Consequence
    Nov 29, 2012
    70
    This balance of radio-friendly R&B and piano ballads bursting with her irrefutable talent is a road frequently traveled for this singer, but it's oh-so-entertaining to watch her set the road ablaze.
  14. AllMusic
    Nov 21, 2012
    70
    After a pair of bombastic anthems--including the oddly written "Girl on Fire," which has her "living in a world, and it's on fire," then "on top of the world" with "both feet on the ground" and "our head in the clouds"--the album loses its grip.
  15. Los Angeles Times
    Nov 27, 2012
    63
    In spite of that fresh blood [of collaborators], Girl on Fire basically delivers the same payload as Keys' other albums; it's a collection of handsomely crafted, gorgeously sung ballads interrupted by several overworked anthems about the value of perseverance.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Most Discussed Album of 2012

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 100 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 100
  3. Negative: 11 out of 100
  1. jw1293
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    Something's gone awry when the singles are the weakest tracks on the album. As weak as the singles are lyrically ("looks like a girl, butSomething's gone awry when the singles are the weakest tracks on the album. As weak as the singles are lyrically ("looks like a girl, but she's a flame" from the title track), they fit well in the musical landscape that Keys has painted. Easily the most consistent and cohesive set of songs we've heard from Keys, "Girl on Fire" moves effortlessly from piano ballads ("Brand New Me") to Jamie XX ("When It's All Over"), to synth-heavy groove "Listen to Your Heart". Some have lamented Keys' refusal to truly open up in the past, and they will likely find plenty wrong with another album where she keeps the listeners at arms length, mostly. But look harder at the thematic elements of a few tracks and you'll see that she's subtly addressing the things that have been said about her. For example, "101" is a thinly veiled dig at the naysayers regarding her relationship with the notoriously unfaithful Swizz Beatz. Not to mention that it sounds fantastic. "Not Even The King", while certainly not currently personal for Keys, finds her at her most intimate on a recording, stopping to sit down, breathe, and push the pedal down before beginning the future nominee for Song of The Year at the Grammy Awards. I'm a longtime Alicia Keys fan, disappointed with the last album of mostly filler music, and am really thrilled to see Keys back at the top of her game and turning out an album even better than "As I Am". Great music!… Full Review »
  2. Mocacinno
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    Such a lovely album and breathe of fresh air , the singles are by far the weakest tracks on the album ,stand out tracks are "One Thing" ,Such a lovely album and breathe of fresh air , the singles are by far the weakest tracks on the album ,stand out tracks are "One Thing" , "When Its all Over" , "Fire We Make" and "Brand New Me"… Full Review »
  3. luksgote
    Dec 13, 2012
    10
    Alicia once again, prove why is one of the most and greatest artists of new generation... This album is amazing. Every track... every lyric...Alicia once again, prove why is one of the most and greatest artists of new generation... This album is amazing. Every track... every lyric... it's crazy!! We felling the emotion of his voice. She's so wonderful... I love her.

    My favorite song? ALL, for sure.    … Full Review »
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