Fall Music Preview 2007: Bruce Springsteen, James Blunt, Alicia Keys and More

Alicia Keys
As I Am
Out November 13th

Last year, says Alicia Keys, "I had a hell of a lot of personal experiences that knocked me off my feet." But a rejuvenating trip to Egypt helped turn things around: When she got back to the United States in October, she hooked up with a dream team of fellow songwriters -- Linda Perry, John Mayer and Mark Batson -- and experimented by distorting her keyboards to create "a whole 'nother tapestry of music and sounds." A standout track, "Go Ahead," sums up the disc's spirit. "It has this hard-ass beat, and the flow is crazy, and it's got a lot of aggression in there," she says. "I needed to get that off my chest."

LISTEN
"No One" from As I Am

Click here for a Quicktime stream.