"Girl on Fire" An Explosive Display of Power for Alicia Keys

I was already convinced Alicia Keys was fearless in exploring the intricacies of love when I heard her sweet as molasses performance on 2001's "Fallin". To my mind she gloriously let the vital warmth trickle down with the majesty of a drop of renegade maple syrup inching its way along the side of a bottle after having poured a thoughtful helping onto some flapjacks. Unwavering slow. Slow so listeners could soak up every wave of Alicia's no pretentiousness implied sentiments. Not too many people could make the falling out of love part sound more like reassurance with the arm that just pushed someone away. "Girl On Fire" never ceases to be a fascinating character study. She's comfortable in every style of skin she inhabits. For openers the piano intro "De Novo Adagio" glides over one's eardrums. On a dinner menu you might call it a teasingly playful appetizer. "Brand New Me" finds our lady of the urban core strutting her newly won triumph of personal growth over any previously acquired superficiality. Vocally I admire her sense of self-awareness. She knows how to pull her audience in with firm footing then retreat back to a softer application of her impossible to fake natural heat. She imbues her voice with fiery attitude only long enough to clearly make her point. The percussion spiked wake up celebration that is "New Day" actually has me believing the day in front of me is rife with possibilities instead of that same, tired out laundry list of adult "must-dos". Without Alicia as the ringleader this song could have easily had sounded phoned in, like one of those painted on smiles Americans sometimes use when they're trying awkwardly to hide some indefatigable source of frustration. The coup de gras is definitely "Fire We Make". She and the equally gorgeous (to the women that is) Maxwell conspire to whip up what in all likelihood will have myriad lovemaking sessions stoked in no time flat. This is Florida orange juicy deliciousness. Though Alicia isn't listing guitar picker as one of her side specialties, the hired hand doing it did her a solid by adding it to the delicacy. No need for an extinguisher. Just focus your energies on getting lost in each other's freshly ignited orbs. Look no further if you're trying to pinpoint your 2012 version of "my happy place". Nicki Minaj is another one of Alicia's special guests. "Girl on Fire" certainly sounds like a title begging for a Minaj moment or three. I blissfully inform you her pink-haired R & B oddity from another dimension characterization is dialed down considerably. Some earthbound rapping about how she fears God and it's back to Alicia at the helm. Street props to Minaj for not forgetting whose spotlight she's borrowing. Minaj has already stolen many a show so there's little advantage to her towering over the celeb she's trying to lend an assist to. Alicia can construct a candid portrait with considerable grace. "Not Even The King" stands ready to touch the blackest of hearts. Alicia salutes the value of intimacy and trust over the value of the filthy lucre so many burn up so many irreplaceable sunsets chasing. This is classic "we have each other so we're already millionaires" songcraft. Like the voice of the women herself the piano is almost maternal in application. A revisited character assessment seems like a shot in the arm for one's after listening. If you're partial to music that sounds tailor made for cavorting  in the sun-dappled autumn landscape "That's When I Knew" is a superb choice. Alicia shares that exact moment, the same kind many lovers of all ages crystallize as their "a-ha moment" when they first figured out they fell in love. Alicia spread out against harvest night electricity. "Girl On Fire" is ignition personified. Whether playing it cool, upbeat, brash, defiant, or betrayed, Alicia Keys demonstrates that, over the past decade, she's morphed into an accomplished musical thespian. Going onstage to present her with a bouquet of roses doesn't do her or her cathartic honesty justice.