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The Element of Freedom
R&B / Soul · 2009 · 21 tracks · 1h 21m

The Element of Freedom

Alicia Keys

A mid-tempo, synth-heavy shift from retro-soul to moody 1980s-inspired pop. Intimate, electronic, and deeply vulnerable.

November 27, 2009 · J Records

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A moody, late-night blend of electronic melancholy and resilient hope.

Tracklist · 21 Tracks · 1h 21m
01
Element of Freedom (intro)
0:13
02
Love Is Blind
3:50
03
Doesn’t Mean Anything
4:33
04
Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart
4:09
05
Wait Til You See My Smile
4:01
06
That’s How Strong My Love Is
4:05
07
Un‐Thinkable (I’m Ready)
4:09
08
Love Is My Disease
4:02
09
Like the Sea
4:13
10
Put It in a Love Song
3:16
11
This Bed
3:45
12
Distance and Time
4:27
13
How It Feels to Fly
4:43
14
Empire State of Mind, Part II (Broken Down)
3:36
15
Through It All
4:29
16
Pray for Forgiveness
4:45
17
Doesn’t Mean Anything (intimate studio performance)
3:57
18
Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart (intimate studio performance)
3:40
19
Empire State of Mind (Part II) (intimate studio performance)
2:01
20
No One (intimate studio performance)
4:10
21
Doesn't Mean Anything
5:15
Moments Worth Listening For
The sudden, booming entry of the 1980s-style drum machine on 'Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart' that transforms a delicate vocal into an anthem.
The hushed, skeletal piano opening of 'Empire State of Mind, Part II (Broken Down)' which strips away the bombast of the original duet for pure intimacy.
The way the bassline drops out on 'Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)', leaving Keys' breathy vocal suspended in a cloud of reverb.
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Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does The Element of Freedom sound next to the rest of Alicia Keys's catalogue?

Reverb Heavy+4.0σ

The production is built around reverb heavy than this artist usually allows.

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