Alicia Keys Fashions Herself As One Of The Beautiful Ones

noah | October 29, 2009 5:30 pm

Friend-of-Idolator Michaelangelo Matos has a pretty spot-on review of Alicia Keys’ snoozy first single from her forthcoming pushed-back album The Elements Of Freedom in The Stranger; in the writeup he writes about how his sister saw the deadly serious arteeeste Keys in concert in 2001, and how she was then flogging her over-the-top cover of Prince’s “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore.” Well, Keys’ Prince mimickry continues on her new single, “Sleeping With A Broken Heart,” which is an even less subtle attempt to channel the Purple One. This time out she’s channeling his breathier side, and the results are certainly better than before—but they still have that sort of oppressive Seriousness As An Artist that so many of Keys’ efforts, from her piano-etude-turned-pop-tune “Fallin'” on, seem to contain. Clip after the jump.

Honestly? If I want to hear somebody who isn’t Prince trying to bring back “The Beautiful Ones,” I’ll listen to James McNew. Alicia Keys – Sleeping With A Broken Heart [YouTube] It’s A Hit [The Stranger]
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