Songs in A Minor cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

Songs in A Minor Songwriting Credits by Alicia Keys

2001 J Records 16 tracks 63 min

Produced by Alicia Keys, Kerry Brothers Jr., Jermaine Dupri, Brian McKnight, Jimmy Cozier, Arden Altino, Miri Ben-Ari  ·  Engineered by Gerry Brown, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Ralph Cacciurri, Brian Frye, Acar Key, Rick St. Hillaire, Chris Wood, Russ Elevado, Manny Marroquin, Tony Maserati, Phil Tan, Herb Powers Jr.

J Records Neo soulR&BSoulClassicalJazz
88%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 14 of 16 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 14 / 16 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 16 tracks with documented writers, by whether Alicia Keys carries a lyricist or composer credit.

88%
14 trackswritten by Alicia Keys 2 tracksoutside writers
Alicia Keys's roles on this album

Share of the 16 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist88%
Composer88%
Producer94%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

16
Tracks
12
Lyricists
8
Producers
1
No.1 Single
12 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
2001
Released

Awards & Recognition 5

Best R&B Album (2002)
Best New Artist (2002)
Song of the Year (2002)
Best R&B Song (2002)
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (2002)
Data Insight

Songs in A Minor is a strongly self-authored debut, with Alicia Keys writing 14 of its tracks and producing 15, often working alongside her longtime collaborator Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. She handled the bulk of the writing and arrangement herself, drawing on her classical piano training across songs like Piano & I, Butterflyz, and Caged Bird. Outside contributors were limited but notable: Jermaine Dupri and Kandi Burruss co-wrote material, and Brian McKnight contributed as a collaborator. The breakout single Fallin' was written solely by Keys.

Alicia Keys' debut studio album, released June 5, 2001. Songs in A Minor debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over 200,000 copies in its first week. The album is notable for Keys' piano-driven R&B sound and strong self-writing credentials. She wrote the majority of its 16 tracks herself or with her longtime collaborator Kerry 'Krucial' Brothers Jr. The lead single 'Fallin'' reached number one and remains one of her signature songs. Track 3, 'How Come You Don't Call Me,' is a cover of a Prince composition.

Track Listing & Credits 16 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Piano & I
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
2
Girlfriend
Alicia KeysJermaine DupriJoshua Thompson Alicia Augello CookJermaine DupriJoshua Thompson Alicia KeysJermaine Dupri Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
3
How Come You Don't Call Me #59
Prince Prince Rogers Nelson Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
4
Fallin' #1
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
5
Troubles
Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello CookKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
6
Rock wit U
Alicia KeysTaneisha SmithKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello CookTaneisha SmithKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
7
A Woman's Worth #7
Alicia KeysErika Rose Alicia Augello CookErika Rose Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
8
Jane Doe
Alicia KeysKandi Burruss Alicia Augello CookKandi Burruss Alicia KeysKandi Burruss Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
9
Goodbye
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook Brian McKnight Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
10
The Life
Alicia KeysTaneisha SmithKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello CookTaneisha SmithKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
11
Mr. Man
Alicia KeysJimmy Cozier Alicia Augello CookJimmy Cozier Alicia KeysJimmy CozierArden AltinoMiri Ben-Ari Jimmy Cozier (vocals)
12
Never Felt This Way (Interlude)
Brian McKnightBrandon Barnes Brian McKnightBrandon Barnes Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
13
Butterflyz
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
14
Why Do I Feel So Sad
Alicia KeysWarryn Campbell Alicia Augello CookWarryn Campbell Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
15
Caged Bird
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)
16
Lovin U
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 16 contributors

AK
Alicia Keys
Writer · Producer
On this album14 written
AA
Alicia Augello Cook
Writer · Vocals
On this album14 written
KB
Kerry Brothers Jr.
Writer · Producer
On this album3 written
TS
Taneisha Smith
Writer
On this album2 written
BM
Brian McKnight
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
JD
Jermaine Dupri
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
JC
Jimmy Cozier
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album1 written
KB
Kandi Burruss
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
BB
Brandon Barnes
Writer
On this album1 written
ER
Erika Rose
Writer
On this album1 written
JT
Joshua Thompson
Writer
On this album1 written
P
Prince
Writer
On this album1 written

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Frequently Asked Questions Songs in A Minor

Did Alicia Keys write Songs in A Minor herself?
Yes, Songs in A Minor is largely self-written. Alicia Keys wrote 14 of the album's tracks and produced 15 of them, frequently in collaboration with Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. A small number of songs included outside writers such as Jermaine Dupri and Kandi Burruss.
Who wrote Fallin' by Alicia Keys?
Fallin' was written solely by Alicia Keys. It was the lead single from Songs in A Minor and became her breakout hit. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
What is the song Caged Bird by Alicia Keys about?
Caged Bird is a piano-driven ballad written by Alicia Keys for Songs in A Minor. Keys wrote and produced it herself, drawing on her classical piano background. It reflects the introspective, self-authored tone that runs through much of the album.
Who produced A Woman's Worth by Alicia Keys?
A Woman's Worth was written and produced by Alicia Keys, with Kerry "Krucial" Brothers as a collaborator. It was released as the album's second single. The song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
How many Grammys did Songs in A Minor win?
Alicia Keys won five Grammy Awards at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002 connected to Songs in A Minor. These included Best R&B Album, Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The wins tied Lauryn Hill's record for most awards won by a woman in a single night.
How many copies did Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor sell?
Songs in A Minor sold over 12 million copies worldwide as of 2011. In the United States it debuted with 236,000 copies in its first week. The RIAA later certified it seven times platinum in August 2020 for combined sales and album-equivalent units.
What genre is Songs in A Minor by Alicia Keys?
Songs in A Minor is primarily a neo soul and R&B album. It also incorporates soul, classical, and jazz elements, reflecting Alicia Keys' classical piano training. The album was released in 2001 on J Records.
Was Fallin' by Alicia Keys a number one hit?
Yes, Fallin' reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the lead single from Songs in A Minor and Alicia Keys wrote it on her own. The song also won Song of the Year and Best R&B Song at the 2002 Grammy Awards.

Sources

Wikipedia: Songs in A Minor MusicBrainz release-group lookup: Songs in A Minor Cover Art Archive: Songs in A Minor front cover GRAMMY.com: Alicia Keys 2002 Grammy wins Cover Art Archive: Songs in A Minor by Alicia Keys