As I Am (Expanded Edition)

Alicia Keys’ prodigious career is built on a muscular foundation of skyscraping vocals, but while her early work is typified by its distinct hip-hop allegiance, her third album mines a classic R&B sound. Here, the New York native flexes her midtempo muscles, layering fierce vocals over funky, '70s-influenced ballads like “Go Ahead” and the electric keys of Stevie Wonder-inspired lead single “No One”. “Teenage Love Affair” pays homage to vintage Motown, while “Superwoman” is a crescendoing paean to self-empowerment over chugging beats.