The Element Of Freedom

Don’t mistake the presence of Jay-Z and Beyoncé on Alicia Keys' fourth album as evidence that the singer/songwriter is burrowing into modern R&B -- take it instead as evidence of the rarefied company Keys keeps, her status as a superstar so solidified that the only cameos possible are R&B/hip-hop elite.

As smart and savvy a songwriter as Keys should be able to do better than this.

Listening to Alicia Keys' The Element of Freedom, you might think someone is playing a huge joke on you. Gone is any inventive use of piano

Album Reviews: Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom

This week's pop/rock reviews