The Diary of Alicia Keys: personal album review

Watch my video on Alicia Keys' 3 album run here:

https://youtu.be/ab6eZyhkyVk?si=a0lBpijXLiY6ICXn

Originally published: November 13th, 2023

After listening to this album a few times (okay, maybe a million times), I’ve decided to write a somewhat formal review. Keys’ sophomore album feels like stepping into a world of Harlem, jazz, hip-hop, and soft sensual melodies. It surpasses her debut, Songs in A Minor, and is arguably her best album. (Actually, it just is.)

The first track on The Diary of Alicia Keys is Harlem’s Nocturne, where she invites us into her diary, allowing us to take this journey with her. Unlike Piano & I, it stands uniquely on its own. She showcases her piano skills within the first 30 seconds before transitioning into a beat and an introduction from Miss Keys, leading us into the first lead track.

Karma carries a hip-hop beat originally intended for a rapper. This song features one of the best bridges I’ve ever heard, and once again, Keys demonstrates what high production value truly means. Although this single didn’t chart as high as others, it’s just as good. Karma then leads us into an AK & Timbaland collaboration.

Heartburn is probably my least favorite song on the album—not because it’s bad, but because it simply doesn’t compare to the others. It sounds like a scrapped Etta James track; I’m not sure why, but I hear her influence in it. It’s strong and powerful, and her live performances of it are among my favorites. Heartburn then leads into one of my personal favorites on the album.

If I Was Your Woman/Walk on By blends a Gladys Knight and Isaac Hayes essence, showcasing Keys’ ability to transform soulful songs with hip-hop production. Alongside Mo Bee, she delivers a New York street sound like only she can.

This next song needs no introduction. With production by Kanye West and Alicia Keys, plus background vocals from Harold Lilly and John Legend, the soulful sweetness of You Don’t Know My Name feels like magic every time. Sampling Let Me Prove My Love to You (J.R. Bailey, Mel Kent, and Ken Williams, 1975), this is one of my all-time favorite songs.

Another track that needs no introduction—you already know it. If I Ain’t Got You is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Written and produced by Keys, the soft melody speaks for itself. Though not my personal favorite on the album, its meaning is undeniably beautiful, adding a wholesome feel to her diary.

Next is another R&B favorite, Diary, featuring Jermaine Paul and Tony! Toni! Toné! This brilliant collaboration slows things down on TDOAK. Growing up, I actually thought this song was called Secrets—it’s so catchy and so beautiful.

Dragon Days isn’t a widely recognized track, but it’s a good one. Lyrically, it’s one of my favorites from her. It’s often overlooked since it wasn’t a single, but I don’t think it was meant to be. Still, it’s a gem, written and produced by Alicia Keys, of course.

Wake Up is one of my FAVORITE soulful tracks from this album. It sounds a little dated, but I’m sure that was intentional. Written by Alicia Keys, Kerry Brothers, and Harlem musician Ray Chew, I truly wish there had been a music video for this one.

Sidenote: I wish there had been a music video for every song. This album deserved to be a visual experience.

So Simple featuring Lellow—Alicia’s alter ego—is stunning. The layers, the meaning, everything about it is beautiful. Written by Alicia, Andre Harris, Harold Lilly, and Vidal Davis, and produced by Keys, Harris, and Davis, this song hit me deeply in my senior year of high school during a breakup.

When You Really Love Someone feels like A Woman’s Worth part two. At first, I didn’t appreciate just how good it was, likely because every song on this album is amazing, making it hard to focus on them individually. Now, I really appreciate its classic sound. Written by Alicia Keys and Kerry Brothers Jr. and produced by Keys, it feels intentionally nostalgic.

Let’s talk about the best interlude ever created—soft, sultry, and so perfectly fitting for this album. It’s a whole vibe, and Alicia Keys’ mind is crazy. Written and produced by her, of course.

Slow Down is one of my favorites—so sexy, flowing perfectly from Feeling U, Feeling Me. The chorus is my favorite part, and the layering in this song is masterful.

Sidenote: If I Was Your Woman transitions PERFECTLY into You Don’t Know My Name. Go listen to it right now.

Samsonite Man feels like one of the most underrated songs on this album, but I still really enjoy it. For the longest time, I wasn’t sure what the song was even about, but over time, I’ve come to appreciate it more.

Finally, the outro, Nobody Not Really, is an interesting way to close the album. It ends with a reflective question—“Does anybody even care?”—revealing some of Keys’ most personal emotions. It’s deep, but I think it might have worked better placed earlier in the album rather than ending on such a somber note.

Overall, this album shaped me. I will always love Alicia Keys for creating something that was there for me throughout my teenage years—and even now, nearly 15 years after its release, it remains a true classic.

Happy 20 years to my favorite album, one of the best albums of the 2000s, and the greatest R&B album ever.