Alicia Keys Talks Possible White Stripes Collaboration

During a phone-in press conference yesterday to discuss her As I Am tour, Alicia Keys talked about her favorite hair style, her love of Juicy sweatpants and her desire to collaborate with the White Stripes. "They're very raw, very cut and dry. It's like drums and guitar," she said. "It's that simple, and I love that." Keys said ever since her duet with Keith Urban at last year's Live Earth concert, she's been exploring other team-ups, and also listed Queens of the Stone Age, Linkin Park and Coldplay as partners she'd like to work with. But Jack and Meg top her list. "I think that combining that style with mine, which already has a raw feel to it, and my voice, I just think we could do something really interesting that mixes rock and soul together, the blues and emotion, and it could be really touching," Keys added. As for when the possible collaboration may take place, Keys said "We've had some conversations. When the time works out, and it definitely will, it will happen."

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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