Rap-Up.com || Alicia Keys Performs ‘Girl on Fire’ for The New York Times

Alicia Keys explained what sparked her fire when she sat down with The New York Times. The Grammy-winning songstress recalled the process of making her empowering female anthem “Girl on Fire,” which will appear on her upcoming album, due November 27. Once she had the concept, she called upon producers Jeff Bhasker and Salaam Remi to find the right sound.

“A girl on fire is loud and obnoxious and destructive and just, like, totally unrelenting and she’s free,” said Alicia after Salaam played her a drum sample.

She took a seat at her glass piano and belted out an abridged version of her hit, stopping midway to question herself. “What I’m gonna ask myself is why I wrote this song so high,” she said. “‘Cause I didn’t even get to the chorus yet, and I’m asking myself what made me write this song so high.”

In the interview, the singer-songwriter also praised Frank Ocean’s pen game. “I really appreciate Frank Ocean’s lyrical style, I appreciate the way that he can kind of draw you into this personal space, but it’s still lyrical. It’s almost poetic, in a way, but it’s very personal at the same time.”

See Alicia burn up the keys with her stripped-down performance.

[Alicia Keys Media]

Posted in Alicia Keys | Permalink

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

8 Comments

Brass_knucklez
September 28th, 2012 at 7:58 am
“Loud and obnoxious” the perfect words to describe this damn song. She’s too big of an artist to be putting out this kind of mediocrity.

[Reply]
,. Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 8:26 am
@Brass_knucklez, I bet you are a Rihanna are a Katy perry fan,try and understand why the song is done like this,she is even there explaining it to you and you still don’t get it,it,s clear that the problem her isn’t the song it,s you.

[Reply]
Karen Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 9:01 am
@Brass_knucklez, The song is exactly what it’s suppose to be. It’s very powerful and I guess some people just cant’ “get it”. If you don’t like it, fine, but to me it’s a beautiful song and Alicia sounds great singing it.

[Reply]
georgia23
September 28th, 2012 at 8:48 am
Aww… she just made me fall back in love with this song. After the VMA’s I was like, “ehh, no thanks.” But hearing the story of how it came about was really inspired. She’s so excited about it even now after it’s been released. I feel like she’s remembering why she loves it and THAT’S what I love to see in artists. This is why I love artists that write or co-write and produce their own material. It gives you a different passion about what you’re putting out because you can really live in that moment all over again everytime you perform it and it’s the essence of who you are as, not just an artist or musician, a person… Put your heart in what you do and the people will get it… EVENTUALLY. That’s why I love the Emily Kings, Emeli Sande, Dawn Richard, Miguel and of course Alicia Keys’ of this time. Forgive my rant y’all I just LOVE music and I LOVE musicians.

[Reply]
Kyle Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 10:23 am
@georgia23, Well said, I agree with you 100%. The song is still mediocre to me but the fact that she put her all into the record and it has so much meaning to her, makes me appreciate her so much as an artist. I’m eager to hear what else she has in store for the new album. Same thing goes for Melanie Fiona. Whenever I watch interviews on her speaking about her music I get so excited for her because you can tell that music really is her passion.

[Reply]
K dwon to the R up to the C up town Boyiee Reply:
September 29th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
@georgia23, Very Well said and I Agree with what you saying Is True

[Reply]
Karen
September 28th, 2012 at 9:13 am
The stripped down performance finally came up and it was so good. I love Alicia’s excitement when she’s speaking and the way she just seems so natural. Fairy dust came down, so sweet, and in that case, I guess this is a really special song. I’ll pray there’s not too many disasters. :-) Gotta love her.

[Reply]
K dwon to the R up to the C up town Boyiee
September 29th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Beautiful Musican Song and Nice Interview

[Reply]