Songs In A Minor - Alicia Keys
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. 100
    Fusing R&B, pop, jazz, blues, throwback soul--hell, you name it--Keys delivers grandstand ballads (like the single "Fallin' "), midtempo music, diary-worthy lyrics and feminist funk as if they were all as uncomplicated as scales.
  2. A record of glorious parts that are just too weighty, too emotionally complex and rich to hang together well as a whole.
  3. Like Erykah Badu and other retro-soul artists that have followed her, Alicia Keys is trying to redefine modern R&B by injecting it with jazz and blues. In Songs in A Minor, Keys accomplishes her goal with poise and skill.
  4. Her aching sincerity’s another major plus; that she can get away with Caged Bird’s Stevie Wonder-isms and Fallin’s near plagiarism of James Brown’s It’s A Man’s World speaks volumes.
  5. A gorgeous and ambitious melding of classic soul structures and values to hyper-modern production technique.
  6. A distinct and oft-times brilliant debut from an artist who clearly has a fine sense of her creative talents and has struggled to make sure they are represented in the best way
  7. Though the second half slackens with sad sack teen themes, ''Songs'' is a debut full of promise.
  8. The singing is more mature than the self-consciously retro arrangements and sometimes thin sonics.
  9. The mournful, blues-and-gospel-based "Fallin'"--a great song that was certainly no obvious choice as the first single--is the most notable declaration of independence, but Songs In A Minor is full of them.
  10. It sounds like she couldn't care less if anyone's listening.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. JenniferP
    9
    An amazing debut album that manages to transform a soul, jazz, and R&B coalescence into a masterpiece of a debut album. An album that, in my opinion, may have established a pathway for similar jazzy-pop artists such as Norah Jones, is not only creative but created one of the biggest R&B stars in decades. From the first songs, which convey a more hip hop/jazz flavor, to the album's latter songs which mix R&B with deep soul, Songs is clearly the breakout album of 2001. Full Review »
  2. JamalB
    5
    its an average cd
  3. MattyD
    10
    This is one of the best albums of our era. Alicia Keys delivers an amazing mix of R&B, Blues and Soul on one of the best debut albums of all time, one which showcases the amazing talent which we have discovered, songwriting to dream of and an ability unseen by her contemporaries. This album is the album of our generation, and it all comes from the place where it hits the most: the heart. Full Review »