Alicia Keys has remained an R&B mainstay since her 2001 Grammy Award-winning debut Songs In A Minor. Throughout her history on a major, Keys has been a force, delivering No. 1 hits and chart-topping albums.
Now, more than two decades into her career, she’s free of her contractual obligations to her longtime label home, Sony.
In the same Genius Twitter Spaces chat where JAY-Z firmly declared no one could touch the stage with him in a VERZUZ, Keys revealed she was an independent artist and got praise not only from Hov but her husband, Swizz Beatz.
“I’m so excited because KEYS is actually the last album I have on a major label,” she said. Swizz later shared a photo of Keys on Instagram Thursday (December 23) while wishing her success.
“Congrats my Love this is Big Big Big News and you deserve it to the MAX! 20yrs of greatness !” he wrote. “Groundbreaking and unforgettable moments ! I love that you have this freedom at this time in your life it’s rare!!!! Life begins now and this KEYS album is a true masterpiece that’s Raw uncut and no fake hype!!
“Thank you to everyone that supported since day one and those who now support ! @aliciakeys is just getting started let’s go [crown emojis] Shout out to all the independent woman around the world !!!!”
Upon hearing the news in the Spaces chat, Hov gave Keys her flowers.
“Congratulations, first of all, that’s an accomplishment,” he said. “The fact that you were signed to a label for twenty years is an amazing thing in itself, but the fact that you were able to complete your contract, not many people have been afforded that. That rarely happens for someone to maintain relevance through a contact like that.”
Alicia Keys Drops 'KEYS: A Short Film' With Snoop Dogg, Swae Lee, Lucky Daye Cameos
During her stay on Sony, Keys achieved massive success. Four of her first five albums, including a 2005 Unplugged album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In 2020, she was crowned by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the most certified female R&B act of the millennium, with 20 million certified albums and 27.5 million singles.
Her latest album KEYS is out now featuring guest appearances from Pusha T, Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, Khalid, Lucky Daye and more. Revisit the project below.
but do she own her masters catalouge? 50 years from now strangers families will still be eating off her talent
does she own the masters for her existing 8 albums? likely not.. but thats the whole point here; going forward (unless she changes her mind), she’ll be indy and WILL own her masters from this point on
No she likely doesn’t own them. But Taylor Swift gave the blueprint for how to handle that going forward. Rerecord your catalogue if you want to and going forward sell licenses for the new recordings. The label has profited enough off her catalogue, she can start earning on her own at his point. Or sell the catalogue in bulk like every other major artist this past year.
Owning masters doesn’t mean what it used to mean in today’s environment of disposable music. Artists drop so much shit, the chance of you getting a timeless song that will always be used over and over again is less likely than ever. I think that’s why all of these artists sold their catalogues. They see where it’s headed.
Congrats! Long time coming
ghostly international will sign her now
so about 7 songs. i am just sitting here thinking as to where alicia keys has been over those last twenty years. pretty good deal from sony when you can release so little music and still be employed.
….and we really haven’t for the past 10 years.
Save it for the Shade Room….
She’s relevant to the family she started which is more important than what you or I think about her music. She looks amazing still – how about your significant other?
Alicia Keys hasn’t really been relevant since like 2009. When people interview her now all they ask about is Lil Mama interrupting the “Empire State” performance because that’s the last thing people remember her doing….She probably should have went indie years ago.
I always wondered by relevance is so important to hip hop and R&B fans…..
Not relevant in the comment section of a hiphop blog, no. Ask yourself this though, when she tours is she doing small shows at small venues 1000-2000 heads like half these rappers claiming to be ballin, or is she doing stadium tours around the world 15k-20k? That’s relevance.
I don’t know. That Girl on Fire song was on everything, and she has other songs that I always hear on commercials and stuff. If that isn’t relevance in this day and age, what is?