Type The Platinum Collection in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter. Select Silver in the Certification field.
The beats are good, but it's Keys' voice and the gospel vocal backing that makes the song so memorable between Keys' soaring wails and the simple-yet-intimate lyrics, "Fallin'" is easily worthy of its reputation and countless covers. And do I even need to mention "Fallin'" in all of this? "Fallin'" was the smash hit that displayed her vocal work along with extremely elegant soul balladry. "Butterflyz," for instance, is out of her normal R&B element, and yet she compliments the acoustic guitar's intimate atmosphere with a showcase of her vocal dynamics with frightening ease.
Either way, Keys is able to adapt to whatever's thrown her way, and is give things her own spin all the same. All of this is supplemented by harmonized gospel vocals and the occasional extra instrument, such as an acoustic guitar. What we get are sixteen smooth soul/R&B tunes that highlight Keys' singing to a great degree, all while keeping the solid beats intact and where they should be (barring two songs that don't even have beats). Never mind the fact that only one song ("Jane Doe") from the album is actually in the key of A minor, or that Keys' later work isn't exactly up to snuff her first album set the bar so high that it was (and is) exceptionally tough to replicate or top. And what better way to display all of this than to look back at her legendary debut, Songs in A Minor? It was definitely a clever idea to mix these genres in with modern R&B influences and even many hints of Michael Jackson's 80's-era work, but clearly the biggest draw is still Keys' voice. Instead of going the traditional route of a pop star, it was all about going back to her very roots, those being soul and gospel. The 35 million copies she's sold can certainly attribute to all of this, but I can tell you right now that there's a reason: she refreshed pop audiences. There's not an easy way to accurately describe the magnitude of Alicia Keys' success, especially in such a short time. Review Summary: One of the best debuts in modern commercial music.