Single Review: Alicia Keys – ‘Brand New Me’
2 min read
The remnants of what could’ve been an amazing and powerful song lies in the track Brand New Me. Alicia Keys is not shy of success. The elegantly bold songstress has continued to strive through the ever changing music scene for more than a decade. Her fifth studio album Girl On Fire released Brand New Me as its second single in December last year, but the song is new to the Australian market.
The track’s lyrics are compelling. Alicia Keys’s strong personality has been reflected in her other songs A Woman’s Worth and Doesn’t Mean Anything, and Brand New Me doesn’t fall short in that department. The expression of a person’s individuality is not a new concept, but a development of a new persona through hardships and struggles is always a moving and engaging topic. The song gives us a brief glimpse into the artist’s emotional breakthrough, her character’s revelation both relatable and inspirational. Along with her always graceful piano work accompanying the piece, Brand New Me represents Alicia Key’s musical style well.
However, what caught my attention when listening to the track wasn’t the spirited lyrics or soothing piano. The first thing I noticed when I listened to the song was the reverberating echo that followed the singer’s voice. Throughout the entire piece the vocals were consistently repeated in the background. This sound effect completely distracted from the beauty of the song and I had to listen to the track a couple of times before I could focus on its finer aspects.
Overall Alicia Key’s single Brand New Me was a great attempt at a courageous and powerful song. All the essential elements were there, executed perfectly, but the sound effect of the vocals were just too overbearing to be ignored. The track still gained much success in its release in the US so hopefully it’ll do as well in its Australian audience.
Buy ‘Alicia Keys – Brand New Me’ from Amazon
