Why Alicia Keys Was an R&B Unicorn | The Playlist
Mike and I have known each other for almost half our lives. We met in the early 2000s through the internet. Now, that might not sound like a big deal in 2026, but back in the day, it wasn't that casual to consider someone you'd never met in person to be a friend.
Mike and I have had thousands of conversations about music from artists to trends to history, and everything else in between. So he may not even remember this conversation I'm about to tell.
When Alicia Keys' "Songs In A Minor" dropped, Alicia the artist was like no one I'd ever seen. She was young and attractive and straddled the line between a street smart and classy look. It was a crossover of styles. She seemed like the ultimate home girl.
I remember constantly telling Mike about her like you'd talk about a crush. I may have been crushing on Alicia just a little bit, but her entire being as an artist was something I really dug. I loved the album, but I loved who I perceived Alicia the artist to be even more.
She wasn't really the same home girl that she was for the rest of her career, but for that time and place, she was something like an R&B unicorn.
Mike put together our Top 5 favorite Alicia Keys songs and mixed in others that would create a great playlist. Enjoy.
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GG is first and foremost, a husband, father, and son. He runs both Fight Game Media and BSPN Media in addition to doing podcasts for the Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline. He's also one of the co-founders of the neighborhood social media website, Nextdoor.com.
Huey Lewis & The News: Why They Were the Soundtrack to the 80s Bay Area | The Playlist
