Alicia Keys – Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart

Anybody who knows me is very well aware of the fact that I am borderline obsessed with Alicia Keys. I see her as the one true r’n'b diva in an age ruled by the sort of  Rihanna and Ciara, who much rather strip, bump and grind, than sing and make solid r’n'b. In all this mess of half naked cookie cut out divas, Alicia Keys remains elegant, sexy, cool and what is of the highest significance and the main reason why I respect her like I do, an ace musician. It’s odd to think that it’s been a full eight years, since the world started paying attention to her and her voice, but hey, time goes by fast… and  what else is new?

Brought to us in mid December 2008, “The Element Of Freedom” marks Alicia’s fourth album. The first single “Doesn’t Mean Anything”, which is a very by-the-numbers pop/R&B tune, was a big disapointment for me, and probably anybody who follows Keys and loves to enjoy her previous work. Apart from Alicia looking absolutely gorgeous in the video, this single didn’t even need to happen as far as I’m concerned.

Be that as it may, the album paints a different picture.  She explained that it’s “a dichotomy of strength and vulnerability,” and that she wrote it after loosing a family member, coping with the grief and overcoming depression. And so on this album she digs deep into the multitude of implications of independence, discovering that for just about anybody out there (even a self proclaimed superwoman such as herself), it can bring up issues of loneliness and insecurity, as well as the potential for strength through self-sufficiency. This is not an album that would immediately grab you, but it’s one of those birdies, that require some patience and demand the listener put in some work too. What has been oftenly described as a minus for Keys with “The Element of Freedom,” is the lack of solid single material on the record, but those who are willing to follow her with this one, will find their effort well rewarded.

My favorite song on the album is the melancholic “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart,” an ode to an ex boyfriend, who will not get the best of Alicia anymore. The song is driven by a drum loop that sounds like the delayed rhythm of a train track. Keys only raises her voice above a whisper when she sings, “I’m gonna find a way to make it without you / I’m gonna hold on to the times that we had, tonight.” The softness in her voice suggests she’s about to break down but refuses to in front of the man who hurt her.  You’ll hardly find anything groundbreaking in the arrangement, especially when you notice Keys’ trademark piano work is absent, but a new level of maturity is evident in her delivery that proves she’s still pushing herself to grow as a singer.

The song in my opinion represents the best of Alicia Keys – sultry and soulful, groove-heavy but not robotic, melodic and muscular.

Click on the album cover to listen or check out the video below.

The video: