The Hello and welcome to episode 90 of Soe de Jerka on songwriting.

Hello and welcome to episode 90 of Soe de Jerka on songwriting.

Just 10 episodes away from the century now, Bry.

Yep, and dare I say it, I think we're really starting to get the hang of this whole

podcasting thing. Let's not speak too soon. Joining us today is a multiple Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and

classically trained pianist not to mention producer and sometime actress who became a

breakout international star back in 2001 with the release of her debut album Songs in A Minor.

She recently released their first single in four years in common,

taken from her forthcoming sixth album and we met with her in London to talk a little about

the new record and their extremely

impressive career so far. We're delighted to welcome the fabulous Alicia Keys to the

show. You'll hear our conversation very shortly but first some background info.

Alicia was born in Harlem, New York City in

1981 and raised in the Hell's Kitchen District of Manhattan. She took up piano age

seven and began writing her own songs a few years later. I read somewhere that her first song was

inspired by seeing Philadelphia, the Tom Hanks movie. In that case I'm

guessing said song wasn't an up-tempo feel-good anthem. She attended the

professional performing art school in Hell's Kitchen and I think she was actually first signed to Columbia Records while still studying there at the age of 16.

And it was around that time she met her first major writing partner, Kerry Crucial Brothers.

That's right, yeah.

She then went on to Columbia University but dropped out at her music career began to take flight.

Alicia ultimately parted ways with Columbia, the record label too, but found a true mentor in the

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