Best of Me (Alicia Keys song)

Last updated
"Best of Me"
Alicia Keys - Best of Me (Single Cover).jpeg
Single by Alicia Keys
from the album Keys
ReleasedOctober 28, 2021 (2021-10-28)
Genre R&B
Length
  • 3:58 (Originals)
  • 3:44 (Unlocked)
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Alicia Keyssingles chronology
"Lala (Unlocked)"
(2021)
"Best of Me"
(2021)
"City of Gods"
(2022)
Music video
"Best of Me" on YouTube

"Best of Me" is a song by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It was written by Keys, Andrew Hale, Sade, Raphael Saadiq, and Stuart Matthewman. Keys released two versions of the song, "Originals", produced solely by her, and "Unlocked", produced alongside Mike Will Made It, through RCA Records on October 28, 2021. [1] The song serves as the second single from Keys' eighth studio album Keys .

Contents

Background and release

Keys announced the song on social media on September 28, posting the single's cover art. [2] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Keys commented that:

The zone on this song is so transportive. You're just transported to a whole other realm when you listen to this. [T]hey have a similar energy, "Best of Me (Original)" and "Best of Me (Unlocked)," but when you really get into it, you start to hear the nuances in how they are different, and how there's maybe a little more gentleness in the "Original" one, and a little more "Grrr" in the "Unlocked" one. [3]

Additionally, in November 2021, Keys released a lullaby version of the song on Sweet Dreams extended play. [4]

Composition

The song samples "Cherish the Day" by Sade. [5] Rap-Up described the song as a "slow-burning groove" [5] while Jon Pareles from The New York Times described it as having "steady, diligent beat". [6]

Critical reception

Writing for The New York Times, Pareles found that "the track is hypnotic and open-ended, fading rather than resolving, as if it could go on and on". [6] In his review of the album, Liam Inscoe-Jones from The Line of Best Fit wrote that the “broody” song “conjures an ice-cold vibe through clattering, propulsive drums and a deep bed of whirring synths; it’s simple, but conjures one hell of a mood with it”. [7] He also commented that the remix version of the song “change[s] so little that you have to squint to spot the difference”. [7]

Live performances

Keys performed the song at Mercedes-EQ Concert Experience at Mercedes-Benz Manhattan on November 6, 2021. [8] Keys performed the song at Apollo Theater for Sirius XM Small Stage Series. [9] On December 10, Keys performed the song at Expo 2020 in Dubal, United Arab Emirates. [10] Keys performed the song on Today on December 14, 2021. [11]

Track listing

  1. "Best of Me" (Originals) – 3:58
  2. "Best of Me" (Unlocked) – 3:49

Music video

Keys released a music video for the original version on October 29, 2021. [13]

Charts

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
United StatesNovember 9, 2021RCA [16]

Notes

  1. Only involved in the Unlocked version
  2. Only involved in the Unlocked version
  3. Only involved in the Unlocked version

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alicia Keys</span> American singer, songwriter, and pianist (born 1981)

Alicia Augello Cook, known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records. After disputes with the label, she signed with Arista Records and soon released her debut album, Songs in A Minor with J Records in 2001. The album became a critical and commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. It contained the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Fallin'", and earned Keys an unprecedented five Grammy Awards in 2002. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), was also a critical and commercial success, selling eight million copies worldwide and spawning the singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary". The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards.

<i>Songs in A Minor</i> 2001 studio album by Alicia Keys

Songs in A Minor is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys, released on June 5, 2001, by J Records.

<i>The Diary of Alicia Keys</i> 2003 studio album by Alicia Keys

The Diary of Alicia Keys is the second studio album by American singer Alicia Keys. It was released on December 2, 2003, by J Records. The album was recorded at several recording studios, and production was handled primarily by Keys with contributions from Kanye West and Kerry Brothers Jr., who described it as "an R&B album".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alicia Keys discography</span>

American singer Alicia Keys has released nine studio albums, eight live albums, one remix album, six reissue albums, three extended plays, seven box sets, 46 singles as lead artist, and six promotional singles. Throughout her career, Keys has sold over 65 million records worldwide. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Keys is the top certified female R&B artist of the millennium, with 20 million certified albums and 38 million certified digital singles in the United States. Billboard ranked her as the second top female artist of the 2000s decade, fourth top R&B/hip-Hop female artist of the 2010s decade and the 60th Greatest Artist of all time.

"How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" is a song by Prince. It is a ballad of romantic longing with some gospel elements. On his original recording of the song, which was released as the non-album B-side to his 1982 single "1999", Prince performs most of the song in his falsetto range, with his own bluesy piano playing providing the only instrumental accompaniment. The song's first album appearance was on his 1993 compilation The Hits/The B-Sides. It was later included on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Girl 6. Prince also performs the song on his 2002 live album One Nite Alone... Live!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unbreakable (Alicia Keys song)</span> 2005 single by Alicia Keys

"Unbreakable" is a song by American R&B-soul singer Alicia Keys from her live album, Unplugged (2005). Written by Keys, Kanye West, and Harold Lilly, the track features a Wurlitzer riff, and is built around a sample of Eddie Kendricks' 1977 song "Intimate Friends", written by Garry Glenn. It was released as the album's lead single in 2005 and peaked at number thirty-four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Keys' first single to miss the top twenty since 2002's "How Come You Don't Call Me", and failed to peak inside the top forty on Billboard Pop 100. It was nevertheless a big success on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it landed at number four.

<i>As I Am</i> 2007 studio album by Alicia Keys

As I Am is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It was released on November 9, 2007 by J Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording studios from 2005 until 2007. Production was handled primarily by Keys, Kerry Brothers Jr., Jack Splash, and Linda Perry, with a guest contribution from musician John Mayer.

<i>The Element of Freedom</i> 2009 studio album by Alicia Keys

The Element of Freedom is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys, released on December 11, 2009, by J Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during May to September 2009 at the Oven Studios in Long Island, New York. Production was primarily handled by Keys, Kerry Brothers Jr., and Jeff Bhasker. Departing from the classicist soul music of Keys' previous albums, The Element of Freedom has a mid-tempo, low-key sound and features mostly love songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down</span> 2010 single by Alicia Keys

"Empire State of Mind Broken Down" is a song by American musician Alicia Keys from her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom (2009). It is an answer song to the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Empire State of Mind" performed by Jay-Z featuring Keys. Produced by Al Shux and Keys, the song gained international airplay and download sales although it was only officially released in the United Kingdom as the second single from The Element of Freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girl on Fire (song)</span> 2012 single by Alicia Keys

"Girl on Fire" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her fifth studio album of the same name. Keys co-wrote and co-produced the R&B ballad with Jeff Bhasker and Salaam Remi. The song contains an interpolation of the drums from the 1980 song "The Big Beat" by American rock guitarist Billy Squier, who received a writing credit on "Girl on Fire". Released on September 4, 2012, as the lead single from the album, "Girl on Fire" is Keys' first release under RCA Records following the closure of J Records, after a reorganization at Sony Music Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Show Me Love (Alicia Keys and Miguel song)</span> 2019 single by Alicia Keys featuring Miguel

"Show Me Love" is a song by American singers and songwriters Alicia Keys and Miguel. It was written by Keys, Miguel, Tory Lanez, and guitarist-producer Morgan Matthews, while production was handled by Keys and Matthews. The song was released on September 17, 2019 through RCA Records with UMPG as the lead single from Keys' seventh studio album Alicia. It is an R&B ballad involving feelings of desire. A remix version of the song featuring rapper 21 Savage was released on November 4, 2019.

<i>Alicia</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Alicia Keys

Alicia is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and pianist Alicia Keys. It was primarily recorded at Oven Studios and Jungle City Studios, both in New York, after her 2016 album Here and her judgeship on the singing competition series The Voice, before being released by RCA Records on September 18, 2020. Written and produced largely by Keys, the album also features songwriting and production contributions from Swizz Beatz, Ryan Tedder, Johnny McDaid, Ed Sheeran, and The-Dream, among others. Keys collaborated with more artists on the recording than in her previous albums, enlisting vocalists such as Sampha, Tierra Whack, Diamond Platnumz, Snoh Aalegra, and Jill Scott for certain tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underdog (Alicia Keys song)</span> Song by Alicia Keys

"Underdog" is a song by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. It was written by Keys, Johnny McDaid, Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge, Jonny Coffer and Foy Vance, and produced by Keys and McDaid for her seventh studio album Alicia (2020). Released on January 9, 2020, as the album's third single, "Underdog" became a top 40 hit in many countries and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, indicating 1,000,000 units recorded in the US.

"Wasted Energy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys featuring Tanzanian recording artist Diamond Platnumz. It was written by Keys, Richard Isong, Ariowa Irosogie, Nathaniel Warner, Kali McLoughlin and produced by P2J, and released on Keys' seventh studio album Alicia (2020). A remixed version of the song featuring American singer and songwriter Kaash Paige was released a single from the digital reissue of the album on December 17, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Looks Better</span> 2020 single by Alicia Keys

"Love Looks Better" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was written by Keys, Ryan Tedder, Larrance Dopson, Noel Zancanella, Christopher "Brody" Brown and produced by Keys, Tedder, Zancanella and Dopson. The song was released through RCA Records as the seventh single from Keys' seventh studio album Alicia (2020) on September 10, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lala (Alicia Keys song)</span> 2021 single by Alicia Keys featuring Swae Lee

"Lala (Unlocked)" (stylized as "LALA (Unlocked)") is a song by American singer Alicia Keys featuring fellow American singer and rapper Swae Lee. The song was written by the artists alongside Darryl Ellis, Ruben Locke, Paul Richmond, and Mike Will Made It, who produced it with Keys. It was released through RCA Records as the lead single from her eighth studio album, Keys, on September 9, 2021.

<i>Keys</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Alicia Keys

Keys is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys, released through RCA Records on December 10, 2021. It was primarily produced by Keys. It was preceded by the release of two singles: "Lala" featuring Swae Lee and "Best of Me". The album was announced on October 27 and includes two discs, with two versions of 10 tracks, along with six other tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Gods</span> 2022 single by Fivio Foreign, Kanye West and Alicia Keys, Playboi Carti

"City of Gods" is a song by American rappers Fivio Foreign and Kanye West and American singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the lead single from Fivio's debut studio album B.I.B.L.E. and the second single from West's album, Donda 2. On the song, American rapper Playboi Carti provides ad-libs, while Keys interpolates the chorus from "New York City" (2015) by The Chainsmokers. The track was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, indicating 500,000 units recorded in the US and was nominated at the 54th NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song.

<i>Santa Baby</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Alicia Keys

Santa Baby is the ninth studio album and first Christmas album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It was released through Alicia Keys Records on November 4, 2022, exclusively on Apple Music. Her first Christmas album, Santa Baby consists of eleven tracks, featuring four original songs and seven cover versions of Christmas standards. The album's lead single "December Back 2 June" was released on October 28, 2022.

"Trillions" is a song by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys featuring American singer Brent Faiyaz. The song was released as a single from Keys II (2022), which is a reissue edition of Keys' eighth studio album Keys (2021). The song is a reworked version of Keys' song "Billions", which is featured on Keys.

References

  1. Kreps, Daniel (2021-10-29). "Alicia Keys Teases Double-Sided Album 'Keys' With Two Versions of New Single 'Best of Me'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  2. @aliciakeys (October 28, 2021). ""Best Of Me" out tonight. 🔒🔓 The next song off of #KEYS. Get ready for the Original and Unlocked versions out Midnight ET!" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  3. Jones, Marcus (2021-10-29). "Alicia Keys Decodes the 'Originals' and 'Unlocked' Sides of Keys, Her 'Magical' Upcoming Album". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  4. "Alicia Keys: Sweet Dreams - EP". Apple Music . Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  5. 1 2 "Alicia Keys Debuts New Single 'Best Of Me'". Rap-Up . 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  6. 1 2 Jon Pareles; Giovanni Russonello; Lindsay Zoladz (2021-10-29). "Alicia Keys's Hypnotic Love Jam, and 12 More New Songs". The New York Times . Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  7. 1 2 Inscoe-Jones, Liam (2021-12-08). "Alicia Keys Continues to Settle Into a Fruitful Groove on the Unique Double Album KEYS". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  8. Uwumarogie, Victoria (2021-11-09). "Alicia Keys And The Mercedes-Benz EQS, The Brand's First Electric Vehicle, Shine During Concert Experience". Essence . Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  9. "Alicia Keys - Best of Me [LIVE @ SiriusXM] | Small Stage Series". YouTube . Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  10. Marsden, Rhodri (2021-12-11). "Review: Alicia Keys Mesmerises Expo 2020 Dubai with Old Hits and a New Album". The National . Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  11. "Alicia Keys Performs New Song 'Best of Me' Live on TODAY Plaza". Today . 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  12. "Best of Me - Single by Alicia Keys". Spotify . October 29, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  13. Sheridan, Wade (2021-10-29). "Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz Are in Love in New 'Best of Me' Video". United Press International . Retrieved 2021-11-05.
  14. "Alicia Keys Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  15. "2022 Year End Chart: Adult R&B Songs". Billboard . Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  16. "Urban/R&B Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-11-05.