Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (Purple)

The Element of Freedom finds Alicia Keys stepping away from the more traditional soul and piano-ballad sound of her early career and embracing a darker, more contemporary R&B palette. The production is often sparse and atmospheric, allowing Keys' distinctive voice and piano to remain at the centre while incorporating electronic textures, hip-hop rhythms and polished pop production.

From the vulnerable “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart” and the quietly powerful “Doesn't Mean Anything” to the seductive “Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)” and the Beyoncé collaboration “Put It in a Love Song,” the album moves between heartbreak, independence, desire and self-discovery. It closes beautifully with “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down,” Keys' intimate piano-led response to the Jay-Z collaboration that had dominated the charts.

Released in 2009, it captures Alicia Keys at an interesting point in her career: still rooted firmly in soul and R&B, but beginning to push towards the more electronic and pop-influenced sound that would become increasingly prominent in the years that followed.