After a number of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alicia Keys is finally ready to unleash her seventh studio album, Alicia, on the world. In a playful video in which Keys scrolls through endless tweets asking her when the album will drop, a smiling Keys answers their prayers with the reveal of the Sept. 18 release date.
The follow-up to 2016’s Here has been preceded by four singles: “Show Me Love,” “Underdog,” “So Done” and “Love Looks Better,” to go with three other released songs: “Perfect Way to Die,” “Good Job” and “Time Machine.” Keys performed “Love Looks Better” and “No One” at the NFL 2020-2021 season kick-off Sept. 10.
Keys’ performance at the game was tied to the NFL contributing to a new $1 billion endowment fund aimed at supporting Black businesses and communities. The new fund will come as several crises have unfolded around the world, including the coronavirus pandemic and the protests against systemic racism and injustice that have erupted following the police killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others in the U.S. in recent months.
Keys also penned a piece explaining her decision to perform at the NFL’s event and some of the goals of the fund, and expanded on why she conceived of the fund in an interview with Billboard. “We are already seeing the blatant injustices that are going on around us,” Keys said. “As an artist, I’m always thinking about how can I use my platform to further racial equity. This fund is one of the answers and our goal is to empower Black America through investing in Black businesses, Black investors, institutions, entrepreneurs, schools and banks in a way to create sustainable solutions.”
Check out her tweet announcing the release date below.
