Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards including 14 Grammy awards and has sold over 75 million records worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000–2009 decade, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time. In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Keys released her first studio album, Songs in A Minor, in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 236,000 copies in its first week. The album sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States, where it was certified six times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It went on to sell over 13 million copies worldwide, establishing Keys' popularity both inside and outside the United States, where she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album's lead single, Fallin', spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, A Woman's Worth, peaked at number three on the same chart. The following year, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor, which included eight remixes and seven unplugged versions of the songs from the original.
Songs in A Minor led Keys to win five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for Fallin', Best New Artist, and Best R&B Album; Fallin' was also nominated for Record of the Year. Keys became the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night, following Lauryn Hill at the 41st Grammy Awards. That same year, she collaborated with Christina Aguilera for the latter's upcoming album Stripped on a song entitled Impossible, which Keys wrote, co-produced, and provided with background vocals. During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series Charmed and American Dreams.
Keys followed up her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in December 2003. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release, becoming the largest first-week sales for a female artist in 2003. It sold 4.4 million copies in the United States and was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA. It sold nine million copies worldwide, becoming the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B artist. The singles You Don't Know My Name and If I Ain't Got You both reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the third single, Diary, entered the top ten. The fourth single, Karma, was less successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 20. If I Ain't Got You became the first single by a female artist to remain on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year.
Keys won Best R&B Video for If I Ain't Got You at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she performed the song and Higher Ground with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder. Later that year, Keys released her novel Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics. The title derived from one of her poems, "Love and Chains" from the line: "I don't mind drinking my tears for water." She said the title is the foundation of her writing because "everything I have ever written has stemmed from my tears of joy, of pain, of sorrow, of depression, even of question". The book sold over US$500,000 and Keys made The New York Times bestseller list in 2005. The following year, she won a second consecutive award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for the video Karma. Keys performed If I Ain't Got You and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of Georgia on My Mind, the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by Ray Charles in 1960 at the 2005 Grammy Awards. That evening, she won four Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for If I Ain't Got You, Best R&B Song for You Don't Know My Name, Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for My Boo with Usher.
Keys performed and taped her installment of the MTV Unplugged series in July 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. During this session, Keys added new arrangements to her original songs and performed a few choice covers. The session was released on CD and DVD in October 2005. Simply titled Unplugged, the album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 units sold in its first week of release. The album sold one million copies in the United States, where it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and two million copies worldwide. The debut of Keys' Unplugged was the highest for an MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York and the first Unplugged by a female artist to debut at number one. The album's first single, Unbreakable, peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It remained at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay for 11 weeks.
Keys opened a recording studio in Long Island, New York, called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. The studio was designed by renowned studio architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studios. Keys and Brothers are the co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises, a production and songwriting team who assisted Keys in creating her albums as well as create music for other artists.
In 2006, Keys won three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Song for Unbreakable. She also received the Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In October 2006, she played the voice of Mommy Martian in the "Mission to Mars" episode of the children's television series The Backyardigans, in which she sang an original song, Almost Everything Is Boinga Here. That same year, Keys nearly suffered a mental breakdown. Her grandmother had died and her family was heavily dependent on her. She felt she needed to "escape" and went to Egypt for three weeks. She explained: "That trip was definitely the most crucial thing I've ever done for myself in my life to date. It was a very difficult time that I was dealing with, and it just came to the point where I really needed to—basically, I just needed to run away, honestly. And I needed to get as far away as possible."
Keys released her third studio album, As I Am, in November 2007; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week. It gained Keys her largest first week sales of her career and became her fourth consecutive number one album, tying her with Britney Spears for the most consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 by a female artist. The week became the second largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales week for a female solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels like Home in 2004. The album has sold nearly four million copies in the United States and has been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA. It has sold nearly six million copies worldwide. Keys received five nominations for As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award and ultimately won two. The album's lead single, No One, peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming Keys' third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively. The album's second single, Like You'll Never See Me Again, was released in late 2007 and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's third single, Teenage Love Affair, peaked at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. She released the fourth single, Superwoman, which peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
No One earned Keys the awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards. Keys opened the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song Learnin' the Blues as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in video and No One with John Mayer later in the show. Keys also won Best Female R&B Artist during the show. Keys, along with The White Stripes' guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, recorded the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the first duet in Bond soundtrack history. In 2008, Keys was ranked in at number 80 the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists. She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Superwoman.
In an interview with Blender magazine, Keys allegedly said "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" and went on to say that it was created by "the government". The magazine also claimed she said that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing". Keys later wrote a statement clarifying the issues and saying her words were misinterpreted. Later that year, Keys was criticized by anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the A Mild cigarette brand sponsored by tobacco firm Philip Morris. She apologized after discovering that the concert was sponsored by the firm and asked for "corrective actions". In response, the company withdrew its sponsorship.
Keys collaborated with record producer Swizz Beatz to write and produce Million Dollar Bill for Whitney Houston's seventh studio album, I Look to You. Keys had approached Clive Davis for permission to submit a song for the album. Keys also collaborated with recording artist Jay-Z on the song Empire State of Mind from his 2009 album, The Blueprint 3. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became her fourth number-one single on that chart.
The following month, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Keys with the Golden Note Award, an award given to artists "who have achieved extraordinary career milestones". She collaborated with Spanish recording artist Alejandro Sanz for Looking for Paradise, which topped the Hot Latin Songs chart. Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 417,000 copies in its first week. As part of the promotional drive for the album, she performed at the Cayman Island Jazz Festival on December 5, the final night of the three day festival which will be broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET). The album's lead single, Doesn't Mean Anything, has peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. Keys was ranked as the top R&B recording artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine and ranked at number five as artist of the decade, while her song, No One, was ranked at number six on the magazine's songs of the decade. In the United Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys' first album to top the UK Albums Chart.
According to Songfacts, Keys said regarding the title of her fifth studio album, Girl On Fire. "Before making this record, in some ways I felt like a lion locked in a cage. I felt like a girl misunderstood that no one really knew, I felt like it was time to stop making excuses for any part of my life that I wanted to change. Once I made that choice I became a Girl on Fire, the lion broke free!!" The title track will be made available on iTunes and radio on September 4, 2012.
In May 2009, Swizz Beatz announced that he and Keys were romantically involved, and in May 2010, a representative for Keys and Swizz Beatz confirmed that they were engaged and expecting a child together. During the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the couple took part of a union and had the unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony, which took place in the Illovo suburb of South Africa. Keys and Swizz Beatz were married on the French island of Corsica on July 31, 2010. On October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to a son, Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean, in New York City.
1997
Show Me Love
Alicia Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Treat it like we freakin' on the weekend, show me love
I heat up the seconds, times and reasons for your love
This is not the season for nobody else but us
I always get wrapped up in you, baby, I'm in love
We gon' get this love, yeah, like we never done it
Baby, I'm in love
Go 'head, show me love, like we never done it
Show me love, love
Show me love, love
Show me love like, you see red lights
And you crashed in it like a deer inside of headlights
Yeah, I showed you love like it was passionate
I just wanna bask in it, winnin' it like a championship
You gon' show me love like, like you tried it (yeah) and denied it (yeah)
But you still let me apply it (yeah) like I made you put your ties in
Show me lo-o-ove, even when you don't got time to
I'll be there to find ya, I'll remind ya
Show me love
Treat it like we freakin' on the weekend, show me love
I heat up the seconds, times and reasons for your love
This is not the season for nobody else but us
I always get wrapped up in you, baby, I'm in love
We gon' get this love, yeah, like we never done it
Baby, I'm in love
Go 'head, show me love, like we never done it
Ooh, I got you runnin' every time I give you some
Show me love, love, love, love, love
Show me love, love, love, love, love
Baby, you know what it is, yeah
You know what it is, yeah
You know what it is, yeah (yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah)
You know what it is, yeah (yeah-yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah)
You gon' show what it means to love (yeah)
What it is
You gon' show what it means to love (yeah)
What it is
Show me love
Treat it like we freakin' on the weekend, show me love
I heat up the seconds, times and minutes for your love
This is not the season for nobody else but us
I always get wrapped up, baby, baby, I'm in love
We gon' get this love, yeah (we gon' get it, get it)
Like we never done it (we never did it)
Baby, I'm in love
Go 'head, show me love, like we never done it
Yeah, I got you runnin' every time I give you some
Yeah
In Alicia Keys's "Show Me Love," the lyrics speak to a yearning for love and affection that's so intense, it feels like nothing else exists. The song is about wanting to be shown love by someone you care deeply about, and to be given that love and attention on a level that's beyond what you've ever experienced before. The opening lyric of the song sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics: "Show me love, treat it like we're freakin' on the weekend." This sense of urgency and passion is central to the song's message.
Keys sings about how she's so wrapped up in this person that there's no room for anyone else. The chorus repeats the phrase "Treat it like we freakin' on the weekend," which reinforces the idea that this relationship is all-encompassing and immersive. The bridge of the song speaks to the ups and downs of love, the way that emotions can shift and change, but that ultimately the desire for love and affection remains constant. The lyrics "Baby, you know what it is," reinforces the idea that the relationship is something that both parties are familiar with, even when things get difficult.
Overall, "Show Me Love" is a song about the pursuit of love and the intensity of emotions that come with that pursuit. The lyrics are both tender and passionate, and the message is universal in its appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Show me love
The singer is requesting genuine love and affection from their partner.
Treat it like we freakin' on the weekend, show me love
The singer wants their partner to show them love with the same passion and intensity as they would during a weekend fling.
I heat up the seconds, times and reasons for your love
The singer puts a lot of energy into their relationship, taking the time to give and receive love.
This is not the season for nobody else but us
The artist believes that the current moment is perfect for focusing on their relationship and building a deep connection with their partner.
I always get wrapped up in you, baby, I'm in love
The artist is deeply in love with their partner and gets caught up in their emotions whenever they are together.
We gon' get this love, yeah, like we never done it
The singer is excited to take their relationship to the next level and experience a kind of love they have never felt before.
Go 'head, show me love, like we never done it
The singer wants their partner to put in extra effort and show them love in a way they have never experienced before.
Ooh, I got you runnin' every time I give you some
The artist has a strong effect on their partner and can make them feel excited and energized whenever they show them affection.
Show me love like, you see red lights
The artist wants their partner to love them as if they are in a dangerous situation and need an intense kind of love to survive.
And you crashed in it like a deer inside of headlights
The artist wants their partner to fall deeply in love with them, like a deer who becomes mesmerized by the headlights of an oncoming car.
I showed you love like it was passionate
The singer has already shown their partner what love can be like when it is full of passion and intensity.
I just wanna bask in it, winnin' it like a championship
The artist wants to experience the highest level of love with their partner and feel like they have won a championship for their achievements in love.
You gon' show me love like, like you tried it (yeah) and denied it (yeah)
The singer wants their partner to show them love even when they have previously denied feeling it.
But you still let me apply it (yeah) like I made you put your ties in
Even though the singer's partner has been denying their love, they still let the singer express their love and emotions towards them.
Show me lo-o-ove, even when you don't got time to
The singer wants their partner to show them love even when they are busy and don't have a lot of free time.
I'll be there to find ya, I'll remind ya
The artist promises to always be there for their partner and remind them of their love, even during busy or stressful times.
Baby, you know what it is, yeah
The artist believes that their partner knows what love is, and expects them to show it.
You gon' show what it means to love (yeah)
The singer expects their partner to demonstrate the true meaning of love through their actions and emotions.
What it is
This phrase is used to emphasize the previous line, indicating that the singer is serious about their partner demonstrating love.
We gon' get this love, yeah (we gon' get it, get it)
The artist is determined to build and maintain a strong, loving relationship with their partner.
Like we never done it (we never did it)
The artist wants to experience a kind of love they have never experienced before, indicating that they are committed to making their relationship work.
Yeah, I got you runnin' every time I give you some
The artist has a powerful effect on their partner, and is able to make them feel energized and excited whenever they show them affection.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Morgan Matthews, Miguel Jontel Pimentel, Daystar Peterson, Alicia Anguello Cook
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maryjones80
This is what i interpreted from queen's comeback video. Had to watch it a few times.
(Edited.) The more times i watched it, the more it made sense... Lol
Mbj's shots: The water represents emotions, life, daily expectations from him, struggles, not at peace. A visual emotional rollercoaster. The woman.. Shows grounding. Unshakeable. Even if things get tough shes still there.. She seems strong emotionally. Standing firm. Like his safe haven. His peace. He finds His home, stability, his rock. Its like she chose to come save him. Help him up when she was down. Like a sense of emotional support and trust. She was saying trust in me when she stood in front of him. Thus him reaching out to her when he was down. She was like I gotchu.
Zoe's shots. This one was alittle hard to decipher but i had to watch it a few more times. Zoe and her husband are in a room. The room to me represents how society views love and how a relationship should be and love struggles. Zoe splashing the black paint all over the room is signifying that love is how you make it, thus making a new picture. The black paint also signifies strength, elegance, aggression, fear, mystery, power, a sense of rebellion. There is no wrong way to love. If yall love each other and support eachother, who cares about what people think. I also get a push and pull from the dancing. A desire to stay together through hardships and thick times. True love is not defined by how social media or society protrayed it to be. You discover your own version.
Alicia shots.
Elevation. How a lovers support can elevate you.
😎😎🌹
@heatherlee7142
When I was a teenager I'd listen to Alicia Keys with my mom. Now I listen to her with my daughter. she's an icon
@MeleysTessarion
princess heather sounds like a teenage love affair
@deseraerushing1528
Shit when I was 4 I was listening to her with my mom now I am with my son legend fr
@alluringbliss4165
nice
@martinconneally8756
An icon😉
@santos8737
Least one of the few but it all depends on what you listen to
@arianaj7602
miguels voice when he came in sent chills through my body 😩 his voice just melts me
@jmksjames4013
Miguel is fire that brotha can sing!
@LadyBoyd379
Just soothing....
@badbbd
Me tooooooooooo it’s stupid