The Evolution of Alicia Keys

Celebrating the R&B singer/songwriter's 31st birthday.

Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor - Alicia Keys' hugely successful first album had a huge impact on an increasingly stagnant R&B world in 2001. Though her vocal and songwriting abilities improved significantly in the years ahead, her way-ahead-of-her-years emphasis on understated musicality and classic R&B traditions refreshed the genre and birthed a superstar. (Photo: Courtesy J Records)

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Kick in the Door - In 2001, Alicia Keys burst onto the music scene with the multi-platinum-selling debut album, Songs In A Minor. Led by the success of her hit single "Fallin'," Alicia Keys became the one to watch.

16. "When You Really Love Someone"  - Here, Alicia resurrects "A Woman's Worth" — boom-clack drums, cloudy keys and lessons for suitors-to-be — but this time with another couple years' wisdom and her rapidly maturing vocal prowess backing her up for extra oomph.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

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Holding the Keys - In 2001, Alicia Keys performed at the MTV Video Music Awards. Here she is at rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City on September 4, 2001. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

5. "Diary" - In between the lush classic-soul epics that define much of her second album, this song recalled the sparse, piano-driven burners of her debut in the best way possible. (Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

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Grammy Winner - AK picked up five Grammys at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards for her debut album Songs In A Minor. The success of her debut set the tone for the next ten years, where Keys continued to produce remarkable hit records that dominated the charts. (Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

The Diary of Alicia Keys - Alicia Keys follow-up album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, spawned the hits "Karma," "Diary" and the romantic hit single "You Don't Know My Name." Staying true to her sound, Alicia kept the album true to old school R&B with no fluff. (Photo: J Records)

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Sophomore High Jinx - Keys' second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was another breakout success, debuting at number one and selling over half-a-million copies in the first week. The record, which ultimately sold eight million copies worldwide, featured some of Keys' classic bangers, "You Don't Know My Name," "A Woman's Worth," "If I Ain't Got You" and "Diary."(Photo: J Records)

Unplugged - In 2005, Alicia Keys recorded Unplugged as a part of the wildly successful MTV franchise. She performed her hits and exposed a few new ones, including the powerful "Unbreakable." She went on to release the session as a CD and DVD which went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. (Photo: L. Busacca/WireImage for J Records)

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Unplugged - In 2005, Alicia Keys recorded her first live album, which was for MTV's Unplugged series. She taped the special at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York.(Photo: L. Busacca/WireImage for J Records)

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Sure Shot - Alicia Keys made her film debut as a ruthless assassin in the 2006 release of Smokin' Aces. Her role would mark the start of a promising career in Hollywood, as the entertainer is still building her acting resume.(Photo: Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)

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Sure Shot - Alicia Keys made her film debut as a ruthless assassin in the 2006 release of Smokin' Aces. Her role would mark the start of a promising career in Hollywood, as the entertainer is still building her acting resume.(Photo: Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)

Keep a Child Alive - In 2003, Alicia Keys decided to give back and do more, so she co-founded the non-profit organization Keep A Child Alive. Since then, the organization has done everything in its power to provide people in Africa and India with life saving medications that help battle the effects of HIV/AIDS.  (Photo: STUART PRICE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Keep a Child Alive - Despite her busy career in film and music, Alicia Keys has managed to stay extremely active in her humanitarian efforts. The singer is the ambassador of her own Keep A Child Alive (KCA) foundation, which promotes HIV/Aids awareness in Africa.(Photo: Stuart Price/Getty Images)

As I Am - Four years after The Diary of Alicia Keys, the R&B starlet released the No. 1 album As I Am. The album sold nearly 750,000 copies in its first week and spawned the hits "No One," "Like You'll Never See Me Again" and "Superwoman." (Photo: J Records)

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Third Time's the Charm - As I Am, Keys' fourth studio release, was also 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. It sold nearly 750,000 copies in its first week and sold nearly 6 million worldwide. And according to Billboard.com, from October 2007, when "No One," the first single off As I Am, reached No. 1, through February 2008, when Keys' second single "Like You'll Never See Me Again" ended its reign at No. 1, Keys was on top of the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart for 17 weeks, more consecutive weeks than any other artist with the singles, "No One" and "Like You'll Never See Me Again."(Photo: J Records)

The Secret Life of Bees - In 2008, Alicia starred alongside Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning in the critically acclaimed motion picture, The Secret Life Of Bees.(Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection)

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The Secret Life of Bees - In 2008, Alicia starred alongside Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning in the critically acclaimed motion picture, The Secret Life Of Bees.(Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection)

Bring the Drama: Alicia Keys & Teresa Augello - For R&B/soul sensation Alicia Keys, selling more than 20 million albums worldwide is an unprecedented feat in the family she grew up in. But showcasing her acting chops in films like Smokin' Aces and The Nanny Diaries is something she certainly picked up from the head of the household, her mother, Teresa Augello. The paralegal and part-time actress taught her young daughter to juggle her talents, hence Alicia’s cameo appearance on The Cosby Show in 1985. Photo: REUTERS/Molly Riley/Landov

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Respect Due - Alicia Keys was recognized at the 2008 BET Honors, where she received the Entertainment Award for her achievements and contributions to the entertainment industry.(Photo: Molly Riley/Landov/REUTERS)

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Pen-ultimate - In 2009, after the release of Alicia Keys' third studio album, As I Am, the singer/songwriter received four ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Awards including top R&B/hip hop song for "Like You'll Never See Me Again" and the Golden Note Award given to songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Past recipients include Diddy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Quincy Jones.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Pen-ultimate - In 2009, after the release of Alicia Keys' third studio album, As I Am, the singer/songwriter received four ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Awards including top R&B/hip hop song for "Like You'll Never See Me Again" and the Golden Note Award given to songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Past recipients include Diddy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Quincy Jones.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The Element of Freedom - In a turn of events, Alicia Keys switched up her vocal and musical stylings for the 2009 album, The Element of Freedom. The album peaked at No. 2 with the Beyoncé-assisted "Put It in a Love Song" and Drake-written "Un-Thinkable." (Photo: J Records)

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Free to Love - Though Keys' fourth studio album (fifth overall) did not perform as well as its predecessors commercially, it was a phenomenal, heartfelt work that debuted at number two and sold nearly half-a-million copies in its first week. It was a seeming soundtrack to Key's growing love for her soon-to-be hubby Swizz Beatz and featured the hit single, "Unthinkable, (I'm Ready)" with hip hop's most popular up-and-coming star, Drake. (Photo: J Records)

7. "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys - Jay-Z and Alicia Keys put it down for their city on this anthem, aiming to make the rap version of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York." Needless to say, they succeeded. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

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Iconic - Released on Jay-Z's 2009 LP, The Blueprint 3, the single "Empire State of Mind," a homage to New York City by two of the city's crown jewels, became an anthem even for those who only loved the bright lights of the city from afar. The song topped the charts and became Keys' fourth number-one single. It was nominated for several Grammy Awards and took home the golden gramophones for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

23. "If I Was Your Woman/Walk on By" - Alicia makes the old-school R&B influence on her second album explicit here, smartly blending Gladys Knight & the Pips' "If I Was Your Woman" and Isaac Hayes' take on "Walk on By" into a hip hop soul banger.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

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Moment 4 Life - A pregnant Alicia Keys climbed on top of her piano during a tribute to Prince at the 2010 BET Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

Photo By Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup

Alicia Keys - Alicia Keys bought the style of paradise to her big day. Her one-shouldered tunic-inspired dress gave Keys a special island princess beauty. (Photo: Courtesy Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz Official Wedding Photo)

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Love and Happiness - Alicia Keys wed Swizz Beatz in a private wedding on the French island of Corsica in August of 2010. After almost 10 years of keeping her personal life out of the public eye, the wedding photo was the most revealing detail of Alicia's personal life to ever hit the press.

Photo By Photo: Courtesy Alicia Keys

A New Challenge - Alicia Keys is an accomplished singer, songwriter, pianist, actress and humanitarian. Last year, she added Broadway show producer to her list of accomplishments, bringing the play Stick Fly, about class and race in a middle class Black family, to the Great White Way. (Photo: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com)

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A New Challenge - Alicia Keys is an accomplished singer, songwriter, pianist, actress and humanitarian. Last year, she added Broadway show producer to her list of accomplishments, bringing the play Stick Fly, about class and race in a middle class Black family, to the Great White Way. (Photo: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com)