With Alicia Keys wrapping up her 5th studio effort, she penned a letter to her fans to keep them up to date and to reveal the title of her album. Not only that, but to explain why she decided to call it Girl On Fire. She emphasizes that she is working with new and old collaborators for the album and it was mostly done in New York, but traveled a bit as well to gain inspiration. For those who will be tuning in to the 2012 MTV VMA’s this year, she will perform a new track from the album on the show.
Read her full letter after the jump.
Hey…
I’m in the studio right now working away on my new album and I am SO excited!!! I’m ignited!!! I’m like a match to a flame! I’ve had the title of this album in my mind for a long time….It’s been hard to hold it back and now I’m not holding it back anymore! It is called Girl on Fire!!! And that’s exactly how I feel!!! You’ll be learning more about it soon… but let me just say before making this record, in some ways I felt like a lion locked in a cage…I felt like a girl misunderstood that no one really knew, I felt like it was time to stop making excuses for any part of my life that I wanted to change. Once I made that choice I became a Girl on Fire, the lion broke free!!
During the recording process, I mostly stayed in NY but on some cool and memorable occasions, I traveled to different places, and worked with many collaborators, (some old friends, some new). I discovered so many beautiful sounds, and meanings and a lot about the power of a song. I can’t wait to share this album with you. I promise when you hear it, it’s a new me, I gave it my all: powerful, soulful, honesty and heart… With Girl on Fire, I want to move you and surprise you.
Girl on Fire is about new beginnings, new perspectives and fresh starts… stripping away all the bad energy in your life and taking full control of the reigns and how you want to live. There is something really empowering about finding yourself and your own inner strength. On one song, One of the lines I wrote says, “I’ll never be perfect, but at least now I’m brave!”
Here’s to finding your power! Your FIRE!! Stay tuned for more.
In the meantime, thank you for all your love, strength and support.
-Alicia