Alicia Keys: podcast appearances and interviews

Alicia Augello Cook, known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is a classically trained pianist who began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After disagreements with Columbia, she signed with J Records to release her debut album, Songs in A Minor, in 2001. The album received critical acclaim and was commercially successful, selling over 12 million copies worldwide and earning five Grammy Awards, including for the hit single Fallin'. Her subsequent albums, The Diary of Alicia Keys, As I Am, The Element of Freedom, Girl on Fire, and Here, continued her commercial success and critical recognition, yielding multiple hit singles and further Grammy Awards. Aside from her studio recordings, she released live albums and collaborated with artists across genres, including her notable guest appearance on Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind. Keys has also pursued acting, making her film debut in the action-thriller Smokin' Aces, and performed the James Bond theme song for Quantum of Solace. Her later albums, Alicia and Keys, were followed by a Christmas album titled Santa Baby, in addition to her work in musical theater with the Broadway production Hell's Kitchen, which garnered two Tony Awards. Throughout her career, Keys has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists. She has received numerous awards, including 17 Grammys and 17 NAACP Image Awards, and has been recognized for her contributions to music, her activism, and her philanthropy, notably as a co-founder and Global Ambassador of Keep a Child Alive.