Recorded July 4, 2005 Unplugged
(2005) As I Am
(2007) Release date 7 October 2005 | Length 72:22 Artist Alicia Keys Label J Records | |
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Released October 7, 2005 (2005-10-07) Venue Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York City, New York) Producer Alicia Keys (exec.)
Peter Edge (exec.)
Jeff Robinson (exec.)
Alex Coletti Genres Soul music, Contemporary R&B, Jazz Nominations Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album Similar Alicia Keys albums, Soul music albums | ||
Alicia keys intro alicia s prayer unplugged
Unplugged is the first live album (third overall) by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was recorded as part of the television program MTV Unplugged on July 4, 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York City, and released in the United States on October 11, 2005 by J Records, including songs from her multi-platinum albums Songs in A Minor and The Diary of Alicia Keys. The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at number one, with first-week sales of 196,000 copies in the US. and over 245,000 copies worldwide—the highest debut 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 has sold over one million copies in the United States and over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Additionally, it received four nominations for the 2006 Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album.
Contents
- Alicia keys intro alicia s prayer unplugged
- Critical reception
- Accolades
- Commercial performance
- Track listing
- Songs
- References
The first single released from the album was "Unbreakable", which peaked at number thirty-four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second single, "Every Little Bit Hurts", was released in January 2006. The video premiered on January 17 on BET's 106 & Park. The album and DVD includes songs from her multi-platinum albums Songs in A Minor and The Diary of Alicia Keys.
Critical reception
Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 65/100 from Metacritic. E! Online gave the album an A− and said of Alicia Keys: "She might be unplugged--but she's still electrifying." Entertainment Weekly said that the album "largely leaves Keys' runaway careerism in the dressing room, where it belongs." Blender gave it four stars out of five and called it "a stellar set." Q gave the album four stars out of five and said it "Stands as an apt reminder that she is the finest soul talent of her generation." Billboard gave it a favorable review and said, "This self-assured, illuminating 'MTV Unplugged' performance underscores Keys' boundless passion for her craft." Los Angeles Times gave it three stars out of four and said, "The problems in this 72-minute package come chiefly when the exquisite singer-songwriter moves to what you'd think would be the creative heart of the album: material that isn't on her earlier CDs." Stylus Magazine gave it a B− and stated: "I’m definitely recommending Unplugged--with reservations, but it’s still a recommendation--but damn, I just wish the fun Keys seems to have on stage would translate more clearly to record."
Other reviews are pretty average or mixed:Rolling Stone gave it three stars out of five and said the album "bursts with sweet soul that seems to feed off the adoring crowd." Allmusic also gave it three stars out of five and stated: "An abbreviated 'You Don't Know My Name,' truly a producer's creation, falls flat here, and she treats covers of Gladys Knight's 'If I [Were] Your Woman' and 'Every Little Bit Hurts' like vocal auditions and not the blank canvases of an interpretive artist." Neumu gave it four stars out of ten and called it "Just another bloated arena show." Uncut gave it two stars out of five and said, "Keys hasn't the charisma to indulge in the inter-song banter here, which breaks up any soulful flow that might develop despite her sharp, hectoring vocals."
Accolades
At the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006, Unplugged earned Keys four nominations; Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for "Unbreakable", Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Was Your Woman".
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first-week sales of 196,000 copies, serving as Keys' third consecutive number-one debut in the United States. The album's two singles, "Unbreakable", reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and final single "Every Little Bit Hurts", it failed to enter the US and international charts.
Track listing
Sample credits
Songs
1Intro Alicia's Prayer (Acappella) (Unplugged)1:12
2Karma (Unplugged)2:10
3Heartburn (Unplugged)3:04