Since her Grammy Award-winning debut “Songs In A Minor” in 2001, Alicia Keys has remained an RB mainstay. Keys has been a force on big labels throughout her career, delivering No. 1 hits and chart-topping albums.
She is now free of her contractual responsibilities to Sony, her longstanding label home, after more than two decades in the business.
Keys disclosed she was an independent artist and received accolades not only from Hov but also from her husband, Swizz Beatz, in the same Genius Twitter Spaces chat where JAY-Z firmly declared no one could touch the stage with him in a VERZUZ.
“I’m so excited because KEYS is actually the last album I have on a major label,” she said. Swizz later wished Keys success while posting a snapshot of her on Instagram on Thursday (December 23).
“Congrats my Love this is Big Big Big News and you deserve it to the MAX! 20yrs of greatness !” he wrote. “Groundbreaking and unforgettable moments ! I love that you have this freedom at this time in your life it’s rare!!!! Life begins now and this KEYS album is a true masterpiece that’s Raw uncut and no fake hype!!
“Thank you to everyone that supported since day one and those who now support ! @aliciakeys is just getting started let’s go [crown emojis] Shout out to all the independent woman around the world !!!!”
Hov offered Keys flowers after hearing the news in the Spaces discussion.
“Congratulations, first of all, that’s an accomplishment,” he said. “The fact that you were signed to a label for twenty years is an amazing thing in itself, but the fact that you were able to complete your contract, not many people have been afforded that. That rarely happens for someone to maintain relevance through a contact like that.”
Keys was a huge success at Sony during her time there. Four of her first five albums, including an Unplugged collection released in 2005, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. She was named the most certified female RB act of the millennium by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2020, with 20 million certified albums and 27.5 million certified singles.
