US Charts: Bruno Mars & Les Misérables at #1

These are the top ten singles and albums in the US for the week of January 19, 2013:

Top 10 Singles

1. Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars
2. Diamonds - Rihanna
3. I Knew You Were Trouble. - Taylor Swift
4. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
5. Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
6. Home - Phillip Phillips
7. Beauty And A Beat - Justin Bieber Featuring Nicki Minaj
8. Scream & Shout - will.i.am & Britney Spears
9. One More Night - Maroon 5
10. I Cry - Flo Rida

Top 10 Albums

1. Les Misérables: Highlights From The Motion Picture Soundtrack - Soundtrack
2. Babel - Mumford & Sons
3. Red - Taylor Swift
4. The World From The Side Of The Moon - Phillip Phillips
5. Take Me Home - One Direction
6. Unorthodox Jukebox - Bruno Mars
7. Pitch Perfect - Soundtrack
8. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
9. Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
10. The Truth About Love - P!nk

From Billboard.com

US Charts: Bruno Mars & Taylor Swift at #1

These are the top ten singles and albums in the US for the week of December 29, 2012:

Top 10 Singles

1. Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars
2. Diamonds - Rihanna
3. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
4. Die Young - Ke$ha
5. One More Night - Maroon 5
6. I Cry - Flo Rida
7. Beauty And A Beat - Justin Bieber Featuring Nicki Minaj
8. Home - Phillip Phillips
9. Some Nights - fun.
10. I Knew You Were Trouble. - Taylor Swift

Top 10 Albums

1. Red - Taylor Swift
2. Unorthodox Jukebox - Bruno Mars
3. Christmas - Michael Buble
4. Take Me Home - One Direction
5. Merry Christmas, Baby - Rod Stewart
6. Jesus Piece - The Game
7. The World From The Side Of The Moon - Phillip Phillips
8. Cheers, It's Christmas - Blake Shelton
9. Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
10. On This Winter's Night - Lady Antebellum

From Billboard.com

US Charts: Bruno Mars & Taylor Swift at #1

These are the top ten singles and albums in the US for the week of December 22, 2012:

Top 10 Singles

1. Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars
2. Diamonds - Rihanna
3. Die Young - Ke$ha
4. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
5. One More Night - Maroon 5
6. I Cry - Flo Rida
7. Home - Phillip Phillips
8. Some Nights - fun.
9. Beauty And A Beat - Justin Bieber Featuring Nicki Minaj
10. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself) - Ne-Yo

Top 10 Albums

1. Red - Taylor Swift
2. O.N.I.F.C. - Wiz Khalifa
3. Merry Christmas, Baby - Rod Stewart
4. Take Me Home - One Direction
5. Christmas - Michael Buble
6. Warrior - Ke$ha
7. Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
8. Cheers, It's Christmas - Blake Shelton
9. The World From The Side Of The Moon - Phillip Phillips
10. Here's To The Good Times - Florida Georgia Line

From Billboard.com

UK Charts: Gabrielle Aplin & Olly Murs at #1

These are the top ten singles and albums in the UK for the week of December 15th, 2012:

Top 10 Singles

1. THE POWER OF LOVE - GABRIELLE APLIN
2. LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN - BRUNO MARS
3. TROUBLEMAKER - OLLY MURS FT FLO RIDA
4. BENEATH YOUR BEAUTIFUL - LABRINTH FT EMELI SANDE
5. DIAMONDS - RIHANNA
6. LITTLE THINGS - ONE DIRECTION
7. DIE YOUNG - KESHA
8. TRY - PINK
9. GANGNAM STYLE - PSY
10. GIRL ON FIRE - ALICIA KEYS

Top 10 Albums

1. RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME - OLLY MURS
2. CHRISTMAS - MICHAEL BUBLE
3. TAKE ME HOME - ONE DIRECTION
4. MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY - ROD STEWART
5. THE VERY BEST OF - NEIL DIAMOND
6. UNAPOLOGETIC -RIHANNA
7. OUR VERSION OF EVENTS - EMELI SANDE
8. TAKE THE CROWN - ROBBIE WILLIAMS
9. STORYTELLER - ALFIE BOE
10. MAGIC OF THE MOVIES - ANDRE RIEU & JOHANN STRAUSS OR

From www.theofficialcharts.com

US Charts: Rihanna & Alicia Keys at #1

These are the top ten singles and albums in the US for the week of December 15, 2012:

Top 10 Singles

1. Diamonds - Rihanna
2. Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars
3. Die Young - Ke$ha
4. One More Night - Maroon 5
5. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
6. Some Nights - fun.
7. Home - Phillip Phillips
8. I Cry - Flo Rida
9. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself) - Ne-Yo
10. Gangnam Style - PSY

Top 10 Albums

1. Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
2. Red - Taylor Swift
3. Merry Christmas, Baby - Rod Stewart
4. Take Me Home - One Direction
5. The World From The Side Of The Moon - Phillip Phillips
6. Unapologetic - Rihanna
7. Christmas - Michael Buble
8. On This Winter's Night - Lady Antebellum
9. Cheers, It's Christmas - Blake Shelton
10. Rebel Soul - Kid Rock

From Billboard.com

UK Charts: Olly Murs at #1

These are the top ten singles and albums in the UK for the week of December 8th, 2012:

Top 10 Singles

1. TROUBLEMAKER - OLLY MURS FT FLO RIDA
2. LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN - BRUNO MARS
3. DIAMONDS - RIHANNA
4. BENEATH YOUR BEAUTIFUL - LABRINTH FT EMELI SANDE
5. GIRL ON FIRE - ALICIA KEYS
6. THE POWER OF LOVE - GABRIELLE APLIN
7. CANDY - ROBBIE WILLIAMS
8. GANGNAM STYLE -PSY
9. LITTLE THINGS - ONE DIRECTION
10. DIE YOUNG - KESHA

Top 10 Albums

1. RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME - OLLY MURS
2. TAKE ME HOME - ONE DIRECTION
3. UNAPOLOGETIC - RIHANNA
4. CHRISTMAS - MICHAEL BUBLE
5. MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY - ROD STEWART
6. TAKE THE CROWN - ROBBIE WILLIAMS
7. OUR VERSION OF EVENTS - EMELI SANDE
8. THE VERY BEST OF - NEIL DIAMOND
9. TEN - GIRLS ALOUD
10. MAGIC OF THE MOVIES - ANDRE RIEU & JOHANN STRAUSS OR

From www.theofficialcharts.com

iTunes Top Songs Update

Top iTunes Songs by country as of December 13, 2011. With the introduction of the iTunes Store in several Latin American nations, Adele reaffirms her reign on the digital downloads market by leading in 6 different countries, this time with her song Rolling In The Deep. She's also in second lead, but with that other hit song Someone Like You, which is currently the No. 1 digital download in 5 other countries.

Argentina | ADELE – Rolling In the Deep
Austria | Melanie Drack – Widewidewitt Bum Bum (feat. Leonard)
Australia | Reece Mastin – Good Night
Belgium | Selah Sue, Tom BARMAN & The Subs – Zanna (Music for Life)
Bulgaria | ADELE – Rolling In the Deep
Bolivia | Alejandro Sanz – Looking for Paradise (feat. Alicia Keys)
Brazil | ADELE – Someone Like You
Canada | LMFAO – Sexy and I Know It
Switzerland | Sean Paul – She Doesn't Mind
Chile | ADELE – Rolling In the Deep
Colombia | Michel Teló – Ai Se Eu Te Pego
Costa Rica | Serrat & Sabina – Cuenta Conmigo
Cyprus | Rihanna – We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)
Czech Republic | Václav Neckář & UMAKART – Pulnoční
Germany | Lana Del Rey – Video Games
Denmark | Kato – Fuck Hvor Er Det Fedt (At Være Hip Hop'er) [Part 2 G-Mix] {feat. A'typisk, Gilli, Ataf, Mass Ebdrup, Kesi, Sivas & Clemens}
Dominican Republic | ADELE – Rolling In the Deep
Estonia | Ott Lepland – Tunnen Elus End
Spain | Serrat & Sabina – Cuenta Conmigo
Finland | Pariisin Kevät – Saari
France | Shakira – Je l'aime à mourir (Studio Version)
United Kingdom | Little Mix – Cannonball
Greece | Imany – You Will Never Know
Guatemala | Coldplay – Paradise
Honduras | LMFAO – Sexy and I Know It
Hungary | ADELE – Someone Like You
Ireland | Little Mix – Cannonball
Italy | Michel Teló – Ai Se Eu Te Pego
Japan | 安室奈美恵 – Love Story
Lithuania | ADELE – Someone Like You
Luxembourg | Lana Del Rey – Video Games
Latvia | ADELE – Someone Like You
Malta | Rihanna – We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)
Mexico | ADELE – Rolling In the Deep
Nicaragua | Without You – Without You (David Guetta & Usher Instrumental Cover)
Netherlands | Gers Pardoel – Ik Neem Je Mee
Norway | Radioresepsjonen – God Jul
New Zealand | Coldplay – Paradise
Panama | Il Volo – Il mondo
Peru | ADELE – Rolling In the Deep
Poland | Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra)
Portugal | Pablo Alborán – Perdóname (con Carminho)
Paraguay | Serrat & Sabina – Cuenta Conmigo
Romania | Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)
Sweden | Timbuktu – Flickan och kråkan
Slovenia | ADELE – Someone Like You
Slovakia | Rytmus – Akm
El Salvador | Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger (feat. Christina Aguilera) [Studio Recording from the Voice Performance]
United States | Rihanna – We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)
Venezuela | Coldplay – Paradise

All About Adele

From Billboard.com:

As Adele spends a seventh week atop the Billboard 200 with her sophomore set "21," the album's lead single, "Rolling in the Deep," becomes the singer/songwriter's first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1.

(As for the title's meaning, Adele describes it as an "adaptation of a kind of slang, slur phrase in the UK called 'roll deep,' which means to ... always have someone that has your back, and you're never on your own. I thought that's what I was always going to have, and, um, it ended up not being the case").

Since the Hot 100 adopted Nielsen BDS and SoundScan airplay and sales data, respectively, the week of Nov. 30, 1991 (after the Billboard 200 had converted to SoundScan-fueled figures in the May 25, 1991, issue), Adele is the 14th woman to command each chart simultaneously. (The fairer sex wins bragging rights: 12 solo males have accomplished the feat in that span).

Among the exclusive club, Whitney Houston has spent the most weeks (12) concurrently in charge of each chart, with "I Will Always Love You" from "The Bodyguard" (Dec. 12, 1992-Feb. 27, 1993), while Mariah Carey (three) and Janet Jackson (two) are the only artists to so doubly dominate with multiple albums.

Carey is also the only woman in that stretch to simultaneously rule the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 with two singles from the same set; "Fantasy" and "One Sweet Day," with Boyz II Men, each fronted the Hot 100 while "Daydream" dominated the Billboard 200.

Here is a look at the who's-who of female stars who have topped the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 in the same week in the charts' Nielsen data eras:

Artist, Billboard 200 No. 1, Hot 100 No. 1(s), Year(s)
Adele, "21," "Rolling in the Deep," 2011
Ke$ha, "Animal," "TiK ToK," 2010
Leona Lewis, "Spirit," "Bleeding Love," 2008
Alicia Keys, "As I Am," "No One," 2007
Avril Lavigne, "The Best Damn Thing," "Girlfriend," 2007
Nelly Furtado, "Loose," "Promiscuous" (featuring Timbaland), 2006
Mariah Carey, "The Emancipation of Mimi," "We Belong Together," 2005
Beyonce, "Dangerously in Love," "Crazy in Love" (featuring Jay-Z), 2003
Ashanti, "Ashanti," "Foolish," 2002
Jennifer Lopez, "J to Tha L-O! The Remixes," "Ain't It Funny" (featuring Ja Rule), 2002
Janet Jackson, "All for You," "All for You," 2001
Madonna, "Music," "Music," 2000
Britney Spears, "...Baby One More Time," ...Baby One More Time," 1999
Mariah Carey, "Daydream," "Fantasy"/"One Sweet Day" (with Boyz II Men), 1995-96
Mariah Carey, "Music Box," "Hero," 1993-94
Janet Jackson, "janet.," "That's the Way Love Goes," 1993
Whitney Houston, "The Bodyguard" (soundtrack), "I Will Always Love You," 1992-93

Year-End Top Songs 75 - 51

And the countdown continues... We're now halfway down on The TMJ Charts Top 100 Songs of 2010 with the 75 to 51 positions. This one includes The Chart's current No. 1 song by Drake and Young Jeezy, Unforgettable, at No. 75 and double spots for Interpol, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Timbaland and La Vida Bohème.

Don't know what this is all about? Read yesterday's post. More tomorrow, but for now check these out:

2010 American Music Awards Nominees

Mmmm yeah, the votes are in. These are the nominees for this year's American Music Awards. I guess I'll be rooting for Eminem, Usher, B.o.B, Drake and Katy Perry.

From Billboard.com:

Eminem and Lady Antebellum lead the nomination race for the 2010 American Music Awards, both with five nominations. The nominees were announced today (Oct. 12) in Los Angeles by emcees Taio Cruz and Demi Lovato.

Eminem's nominations include Artist of the Year, as well as both Pop/Rock and Rap/Hip-Hop genres for Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Album awards. Lady Antebellum is nominated for Favorite Band, Duo or Group in the Pop/Rock and Country categories, as well as Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, Breakthrough Artist and Favorite Country Album awards.

Justin Bieber received four nominations, while Katy Perry, Ke$ha, B.o.B and Usher all tied for third with three nominations each. Bieber and Perry join Eminem in the Favorite Pop/Rock Album category, as well as the Artist of the Year category alongside Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. Usher's nominations include Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Favorite R&B/Soul Male Artist and Favorite R&B Soul Album for "Raymond v Raymond."

Drake holds down the Favorite Rap/Hip-Hope Male Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album categories alongside Eminem, while Gaga, Alicia Keys and Sade also walk away with two nominations each.

Taylor Swift grabbed one nomination for Favorite Country Female Artist, with Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert also nominated. Underwood was also nominated for Favorite Country Album for "Play On" alongside Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" and Jason Aldean's " Wide Open."

For Favorite Soundtrack, the Gleeks will have to battle the fans of Twilight since both "Glee, The Music: Volume 3 The Showstoppers" shares the category with "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." Or AC/DC may pull a surprise win with the band's work on the "Iron Man 2" soundtrack.

The AMAs will air live on ABC on Sun. Nov. 21 at 8pm ET and feature performances from Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Usher, Pink and Bon Jovi. For the fourth consecutive year, the winners will be determined by viewer voting on ABC.com and AMAvote.com.

Here is the complete list of nominees:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Justin Bieber, Eminem, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
B.o.B, Justin Bieber, Taio Cruz, Jason Derülo, Ke$ha, Lady Antebellum, Travie McCoy, Mike Posner

POP/ROCK
Favorite Male Artist: Justin Bieber, Eminem, Usher
Favorite Female Artist: Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Antebellum, Train
Favorite Album: Justin Bieber, "My World 2.0"; Eminem, "Recovery"; Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream"

COUNTRY
Favorite Male Artist: Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley
Favorite Female Artist: Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift,Carrie Underwood
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts
Favorite Album: Jason Aldean, "Wide Open"; Lady Antebellum, "Need You Now"; Carrie Underwood, "Play On"

RAP/HIP-HOP
Favorite Male Artist: B.o.B., Drake, Eminem
Favorite Album: B.o.B., "B.o.B. Presents"; Drake, "Thank Me Later"; Eminem, "Recovery"

SOUL/R&B
Favorite Male Artist: Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Usher
Favorite Female Artist: Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Sade
Favorite Album: Alicia Keys, "The Element of Freedom"; Sade, "Soldier of Love"; Usher, "Raymond v. Raymond"

ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Favorite Artist: Muse, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend

SOUNDTRACK
Favorite Album: AC/DC, "Iron Man 2"; "Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers"; "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"

ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Favorite Artist: Michael Bublé, Lady Antebellum, Train

LATIN
Favorite Artist: Daddy Yankee, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist: Casting Crowns, MercyMe, TobyMac

T-Pain, Lil Wayne among winners at BET Awards

T-Pain transformed the BET Awards into a circus Tuesday with a multi-artist medley that showed the rapper and singer's wide-ranging influence on urban music, while best-selling rapper Lil Wayne and songstress Alicia Keys gave rousing performances of their own.

Wearing a spangled top hat, T-Pain -- nominated for a leading five BET Awards -- shared the stage with fellow nominees Flo Rida, Rick Ross, Ludacris and Big Boi, along with a bevy of big-top freaks, including fire eaters and acrobats.

"This industry is my circus," said T-Pain. "Ride with the ringleader."

Then T-Pain -- whose nominations came not for his own hits but for his collaborations with others, and whose vocoder-assisted voice is among the most ubiquitous in urban music -- gave a sample of his musical assists over the past year.

Double nominee Flo Rida performed his hit with T-Pain, "Low"; a bare-chested Ross flaunted his gut while singing his song with T-Pain, "Boss"; and all joined in on the collaborative "I'm So Hood."

Not to be outdone, the ladies offered a showstopping performance of their own, led by double nominee Keys. Rocking a sleek bob and skintight jeans, Keys invited vintage girl groups SWV, En Vogue and TLC to join her onstage for a medley of their biggest hits. By the time they closed with TLC's "Waterfalls," the crowd at the Shrine Auditorium was on its feet. Even Kanye West was singing along.

Viewers Choice award winner Lil Wayne was set to deliver the night's most anticipated performance, and he didn't disappoint. Joined by uber-collaborator T-Pain, who wore a t-shirt that read "T-Wayne," Lil Wayne delivered a medley of hits including "A Milli" and his No. 1 smash "Lollipop."

West, who won awards for best male hip-hop artist and best collaboration for his song with T-Pain, "Good Life," used his victories to praise both T-Pain and Lil Wayne.

"We're blessed to be in this man's presence," West said of T-Pain, whom he called "a genius." "I'll let y'all know because I'm one of the kings of this game. My opinion counts."

West called Lil Wayne "my fiercest competition." The New Orleans-based rapper last week sold 1 million copies of "Tha Carter III" for the year's best sales debut.

"You scared me man," West said. "Congratulations on selling over a million records. And they say hip hop is dead."

After tributes by Jill Scott and Maxwell, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Al Green delivered a smash performance of his own, hitting all the high notes on his hits "Let's Stay Together" and "Love and Happiness."

Diddy, Ludacris and the rest of the awards-show audience sang along as the 62-year-old Reverend Green shook his booty on stage.

"I'm sorry I didn't sing as well as I could. I got scared," a modest Green confessed backstage.

Queen Latifah introduced Humanitarian Award recipient Quincy Jones, calling him "an international artist, an innovator ... and a leader."

"He showed us black entertainment is more than just a hustle," she said. "It's more than just selling albums. It's about inspiration."

Jones said growing up on the south side of Chicago during the depression moved him to give back to people in need.

"My piece of bread only belongs to me if everybody has a piece to eat," he said.

Receiving the award "is one of the very treasured moments of my life," Jones said, "and I always hope to live up to this honor."

A somber moment came when UGK was named best group. Bun B honored his fallen bandmate, Pimp C, who died in December at age 33 from complications of sleep apnea.

"It's hard to do this with my brother not being here," Bun B said, while joined onstage with Pimp C's wife. "We want to thank y'all for supporting UGK all these years. It's still UGK for life... Long live Pimp C."

Usher opened the show pyrotechnics-filled performance as he sang "Love in this Club." The highly choreographed set, which featured Usher pop-locking, gyrating and grooving his way across the stage with a bevy of voluptuous dancers, gave the show a high-energy start.

Host D.L. Hughley's opening monologue was a little less explosive -- his jokes about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the recently acquitted R. Kelly and President Bush fell flat -- but he didn't slow the pace of the performance-heavy show.

Key collaborations kept the show buzzing along.

Singer (and BET reality star) Keyshia Cole gave a glamorous performance of her ballad "Heaven Sent," descending from the ceiling while wearing a long flowing gown, before a dancer ripped it off, revealing a white top and shorts as she sang her hit "Let It Go" with Lil Kim.

West rapped alongside Young Jeezy in performance that was marked by its omissions -- censors muted much of their performance. Chris Brown, who was seated next to rumored girlfriend Rihanna, won the night's first award: best male R&B artist. Brown was later joined onstage by Ciara for a sizzling performance that showed off each artist's dance skills, and a shirtless Nelly unveiled a new song with Fergie.

Kobe Bryant and Missy Elliott were early winners, but the best male athlete and female hip-hop artist weren't there to collect their awards, nor was the evening's best new artist winner, The-Dream.

Source: CNN.com

Alicia Keys Gives Tour A Fitting Fairwell In Her Hometown

Dynamic musicianship is the mark of a good performer and Alicia Keys' performance Wednesday night (June 18) at New York City's Madison Square Garden definitely fit that description.

The show, part of Keys' As I Am Tour, began with a five-song set by Jordin Sparks, who was clad in a pink dress and black heels and wore her hair in loose curls. Backed by two guitarists, a pianist and a drummer, the "American Idol" winner's set included the rock-tinged "Heartbreaker," "One Step At A Time" and "No Air" sans Chris Brown.

Ne-Yo took the stage next, sporting a black tail-coat tuxedo, a top hat and a baton. He was accompanied by an eight-member band, all wearing shiny silver suits and hats, and four female dancers in sparkly white leotards.

The Las Vegas, Nev., native started his set with his latest single, "Closer," which is currently No. 35 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, followed by "Can We Chill," the sensual tracks "Mirror" and "Say It," ­ both which were accompanied by an equally sultry dance routine, and "Sexy Love."

Ne-Yo, who had changed into a white tuxedo, was then joined by rapper Fabolous for "Make Me Better," and Rihanna for "Hate That I Love You." Both guests received standing ovations from the energized audience.

The singer/songwriter wrapped up his set with crowd favorites "Go On Girl," a reggae-esque version of "So Sick," "Do You" and "Because Of You."

Headliner Alicia Keys was next, and she took the stage along with four back-up singers, six background dancers, a percussionist, a drummer, two guitarists, a saxophonist, a flutist and another keyboardist.

Three towering screens displaying Keys' childhood pictures and falling stars during "Fallin'," wrapped the stage just above a door that opened to reveal a swiveling platform holding a grand piano.

Draped in a black shirt, jeans and stilettos, the songstress opened with "Ghetto Story" and told the crowd that, "as a little girl I always had big dreams... for me it started with a girls group." Then, flanked by three of her background singers dressed in "Dreamgirls"-esque silver fringe dresses, Keys launched into "Where Do We Go From Here," "Teenage Love Affair" and "You Don't Know My Name."

Keys moved through her three wardrobe changes with powerful performances from her background singers, who wailed Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" and Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up."

The show was extremely coordinated; if Keys walked to the front of her stage, a dancer's routine lead her there; if she worked the left side of the stage, another keyboard awaited her; if she went backstage, she popped up in front of the large screens. The audience's attention span was consistently maintained.

During "How Come You Don't Call Me," Keys argued with an invisible man before running through "Butterflies," and "How Do you Love Someone." As she played "Prelude To A Kiss," Keys told the crowd that she'd written the song during her first trip to Africa and seamlessly plugged her "Keep A Child Alive" foundation- asking fans to text a $5 donation- without seeming pushy.

Another highlight was the "Diary" duet featuring longtime back-up singer Jermaine Paul, who gained notoriety on Keys' 2005 live "Unplugged" album.
Beginning the track by playing the piano upside down -- she laid across the instrument's top and eventually migrated to the piano bench -- Keys blended her alto with Paul's falsetto, before flowing into a rendition of Force MD's "Tender Love."

Ending her set with the hit "No One" and a standing ovation, Keys proved that a dynamic performance mixed with superior musicianship always wins.

Source: Billboard.com

Alicia Keys' troubled time leads to big success

R&B singer Alicia Keys is enjoying a successful worldwide tour, a chart-topping album and will act in an upcoming movie, but it might not have happened, she said, were it not for a near breakdown two years ago.Keys, whose current hits include "No One," is in the middle of her "As I Am" tour. The new "As I Am" album debuted on record charts at No. 1 and has sold over 3 million copies.
In October, she makes her film debut in "The Secret Life of Bees," starring Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, the movie is co-produced by Will Smith and backed by indie powerhouse Fox Searchlight.While Keys seems to lead a charmed life and has the sort of career that most other 26-year-olds could barely imagine, it hasn't always been so rosy.Two years ago, the singer went through a troubled period that nearly derailed her life and career. A workaholic lifestyle and the death of a close relative from cancer pushed her "very close" to the breaking point, she admits.Instead of having a public meltdown, Keys faced her demons in private."I knew I needed time away, so I went to Egypt for a month -- on my own, which gave it a whole different perspective," she told Reuters in a recent interview."It allowed me to see things I'd never seen before -- all the temples on the Nile, the Pyramids, the history. It was so rich and beautiful and strong, and it inspired me so much, and renewed me."

TIME TO REFLECT
Keys said she felt like it was important to be alone so she could reflect on her thoughts and examine her life, away from the media spotlight. She also cut back her work schedule."I'm definitely a workaholic in some ways, although less than I was before," she said.
Ultimately, she said, the near-breakdown brought about an artistic breakthrough that helped shape the music on her third album and her edgier stage persona.
Billboard magazine, in its review of "As I Am," said Keys "takes a step closer toward the soul revival popularized by John Legend, with full band arrangements and bright horn hooks, only occasionally falling back into the piano/melisma combination that drove the singles off her first two albums."
Keys has always prided herself on being in control of her career and music, producing her records and writing songs, but ironically, she was able to push herself more on the new album by giving up some of that control, she said."I purposely didn't have such a kind of controlling approach about it and I allowed the music to flow," she said. "I've come more into my own, and really, with experience comes confidence and a little bit more of awareness of how I would like to do it, having learned from the past."
She added that she is anxious to experiment even more and wants to work with rock acts like the White Stripes, Green Day, U2 or Coldplay."Things that are not quite of the same world, or so you think," she said, "but when you put them together it's just really interesting."

Source: AOL.com

Alicia Keys Mulls Next Album, New Single

The 2007 chart-topping album "As I Am" is still a fresh concern for Alicia Keys, but the singer tells Billboard.com that she's already actively mulling her next record.

"I've been thinking about the next album since we kind of wrapped up this album," says Keys, who's in the middle of a North American tour promoting "As I Am." The set, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in November, still remains in the top 30 of the chart.

"Part of what I've been thinking about is, 'What are the ways that I want to express myself this time?' When I was just finishing recording 'As I Am,' I said to myself that I want to do something that's totally stripped-down, stripped-back, totally piano-based, singer-songwriter; [a] Joni Mitchell, Carole King type of vibe.

"I might do that, but you never know where life takes you, where the music's going to take you."

Keys says her greatest obstacle to creating new music now is finding a chance to do it amidst a worldwide tour schedule that has dates booked into 2009.

"At this point I'm trying to find the space to continue to record as I'm on tour," explains Keys, who recently canceled some performances due to voice health issues. "That's always a bit of a challenge for me 'cause it takes so much out of me to tour. But there's always that urge to stay creative and write on that more personal side. So the main goal now is to continue to find that quiet space somewhere in the madness."

Keys is also starting to consider her next single, the follow-up to "Teenage Love Affair." She says she's leaning towards "Superwoman," which she feels encapsulates much of what "As I Am" is about.

"This album really has taught me so much about myself," Keys says, "and every day I'm learning more and more. The beauty of 'Superwoman' is that it's not about being all-powerful and ... being perfect, 'cause no one is.

"It's about perfection in our weaknesses and perfection in our imperfection, that we can still keep going and we can still learn and still remain strong. Even when we're feeling weak, we can still be superwomen -- and supermen. I love what that says about all that I've learned this year."

Keys says she and director Gina Prince-Bythewood are still deciding whether she'll contribute any music to her next film project, an adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's novel "The Secret Life of Bees." Due this fall, "Bees" features Keys acting alongside Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah.

Keys has also been tapped to star as the biracial classical piano prodigy Philippa Schuyler in the Halle Berry-produced "Black and White" but says the project is currently in the scripting stage with its release "a couple of years off."

Source: Billboard.com