Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys wrote, composed, and produced the musical Hell's Kitchen, which premiered at The Public Theater in 2023 before transferring to Broadway in 2024. She also wrote and performed "Lifeline" for the film The Color Purple (2023). She made her acting debut on The Cosby Show (1985). She signed with Columbia Records as a teenager before moving to Arista Records in 1998 and later J Records under Clive Davis. During this period, she contributed songs to the soundtracks for Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001).

Keys achieved her breakthrough with her debut album, Songs in A Minor (2001), which featured the hit singles "Fallin'," "A Woman's Worth," "How Come You Don't Call Me," and "Girlfriend." The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, and earned five Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album. She also wrote and produced "Impossible" for Christina Aguilera's Stripped (2002) and made guest appearances on Charmed and American Dreams.

Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), debuted at No. 1 and included the singles "You Don't Know My Name," "If I Ain't Got You," "Diary," and "Karma." In 2004, she collaborated with Usher on the chart-topping hit "My Boo." She also published the poetry collection Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics (2004). In 2005, she released the live album Unplugged, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Keys made her feature film debut in Smokin' Aces (2007), followed by The Nanny Diaries (2007) and The Secret Life of Bees (2008), earning an NAACP Image Award nomination for the latter. She released her third studio album, As I Am (2007), featuring the hit singles "No One," "Like You'll Never See Me Again," "Teenage Love Affair," and "Superwoman." She also recorded the James Bond theme "Another Way to Die" with Jack White for Quantum of Solace (2008).

In 2009, Keys collaborated with Jay-Z on "Empire State of Mind" and released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom. Its singles included "Doesn't Mean Anything," "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart," "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down," "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)," and "Wait Til You See My Smile." She co-produced the Broadway play Stick Fly (2011) and made her directorial debut with the television film Five (2011).

Keys released Girl on Fire (2012), featuring the singles "Girl on Fire" and "Brand New Me." She appeared in the television series Empire (2015) and joined The Voice as a coach for Seasons 11 (2016), 12 (2017), and 14 (2018), winning Season 12 with Chris Blue. She released the album Here (2016), supported by the singles "In Common" and "Blended Family (What You Do for Love)."

Keys hosted the Grammy Awards in 2019 and 2020. She released the albums Alicia (2020), which included the singles "Show Me Love," "Time Machine," "Underdog," and "A Beautiful Noise" with Brandi Carlile, and Keys (2021), followed by the reissue Keys II (2022). She also released the memoir More Myself: A Journey (2020) and launched the lifestyle brand Keys Soulcare (2020).

After becoming an independent artist, Keys released her first holiday album, Santa Baby (2022), through her own label, Alicia Keys Records. In 2024, she performed during the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show with Usher, released "Kaleidoscope" from the Hell's Kitchen cast recording, and collaborated with Swedish House Mafia on "Finally."