The Element Of Freedom - Alicia Keys
  • Band Name: Alicia Keys
  • Record Label: J
  • Release Date: Dec 15, 2009
The Element Of Freedom Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 59 Ratings

  • Summary: The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter releases her fourth studio album.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 16
  2. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. Keys' material is ultimately about the slow reveal, not the instant blitz. If Element asks for patience, it also earns it.
  2. While R&B artists clamour for synth-heavy, layered production by The-Dream, Danja and Jim Jonsin, Keys proves a hit album can still be made using conventional means.
  3. On The Element of Freedom, the production compresses her voice, making it sound a lot less like her, especially on the ballads.
  4. The Element of Freedom is just really well-made elevator music. It's boring, soulless, and pretentious.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 19
  2. Negative: 3 out of 19
  1. 10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As an album The Element Of Freedom it's not great but has some perfect musics. In my opinion LOVE IS BLIND, TRY SLEEPING WITH A BROKEN HEART and UN-THINKABLE (I'M READY) are perfect songs, that can balance some duds like Love is my disease, Like the sea and This bed. Expand
  2. é um Ã
  3. For already fans of her, there is a lot to enjoy here. But for those looking smooth polished tracks like Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart will be disappointed. However, her voice and unique style shines all the way through the album as well as she always done. Tracks like Doesn't Mean Anything, Wait Till You See My Smile, and Put It in a Love Song are definitely also highlights of Alicia's great vocals and compositions. Put in a Love Song as a collaboration with Beyonce, is quite disappointing due to the poor lyrics and overall sound that could have been bigger considering how amazing these girls are. But that aside, is still a nice track and an overall really nice album to relax and have a great time. Expand
  4. Nicky
    1
    This is by far Keys' worst album, it's not very coherent, and the line-up is totally ruined by one song - Put It In A Love Song, an up-tempo Beyonce-ish song, featuring, no joke, Beyonce. Alicia shouldn't have collaborated with Beyonce, not that she isn't good, but they are so different musically and artistically, that you know, for sure, they just did it for publicity. Miss Keys' is not a publicity woman, she is far more, so shame Alicia, shame! Expand

See all 19 User Reviews

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