Studio Album · No. 2
The Diary of Alicia Keys Songwriting Credits by Alicia Keys
Produced by Alicia Keys, Kerry Brothers Jr., Kanye West, Timbaland, Easy Mo Bee, D'Wayne Wiggins, Dre & Vidal, Kumasi, DJ Premier · Engineered by Ann Mincieli, Tony Black
J Records
R&BSoulContemporary classicalHip hop
93%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 14 of 15 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 14 / 15 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Alicia Keys carries a lyricist or composer credit.
14 trackswritten by Alicia Keys
1 trackoutside writers
Alicia Keys's roles on this album
Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist93%
Composer93%
Producer93%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
15
Tracks
20
Lyricists
8
Producers
8 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
2003
Released
Awards & Recognition 4
Best R&B Album (2005)
Best R&B Song (You Don't Know My Name) (2005)
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (If I Ain't Got You) (2005)
Best Immersive Audio Album (2024)
Data Insight
Alicia Keys wrote and produced almost the entire album herself, often building the songs around her own piano work, with a smaller circle of collaborators including Kerry Brothers Jr., Kanye West, Timbaland, Easy Mo Bee, D'wayne Wiggins, and the team of Dre & Vidal. She handled If I Ain't Got You entirely on her own as writer and producer, while You Don't Know My Name was co-written with Kanye West and Harold Lilly and built on a sample of The Main Ingredient's Let Me Prove My Love to You. The result keeps a strong singular authorial voice across the record even where outside producers contribute.
Alicia Keys' second studio album, released November 21, 2003. The Diary of Alicia Keys debuted at number one and won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album. Co-produced primarily by Keys and Kerry Brothers Jr., with contributions from Kanye West and Timbaland, the album features the singles 'You Don't Know My Name' (produced by Kanye West) and 'If I Ain't Got You.' Track 4 is a medley cover of 'If I Was Your Woman' and 'Walk on By.'
Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Harlem's Nocturne
|
Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook | Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Karma
#20
|
Kerry Brothers Jr.Alicia KeysTaneisha Smith | Kerry Brothers Jr.Alicia Augello CookTaneisha Smith | Kerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Heartburn
|
Alicia KeysTimothy MosleyWalter Millsap IIICandice NelsonErika Rose | Alicia Augello CookTimothy MosleyWalter Millsap IIICandice NelsonErika Rose | TimbalandAlicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
If I Was Your Woman / Walk on By
|
Gloria JonesClarence McMurrayPam SawyerBurt BacharachHal David | Gloria JonesClarence McMurrayPam SawyerBurt BacharachHal David | Alicia KeysEasy Mo BeeD'Wayne Wiggins | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
You Don't Know My Name
#3
|
Alicia KeysKanye WestHarold LillyJ.R. BaileyMel KentKen Williams | Alicia Augello CookKanye Omari WestHarold LillyJ.R. BaileyMel KentKen Williams | Kanye WestAlicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
If I Ain't Got You
#4
|
Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook | Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Diary
#8
|
Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Augello CookKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Dragon Days
|
Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook | Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Wake Up
|
Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Augello CookKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
So Simple
|
Alicia KeysHarold LillyAndre HarrisVidal Davis | Alicia Augello CookHarold LillyAndre HarrisVidal Davis | Dre & VidalAlicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
When You Really Love Someone
|
Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Augello CookKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
Feeling U, Feeling Me (Interlude)
|
Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook | Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
Slow Down
|
Alicia KeysLamont GreenErika Rose | Alicia Augello CookLamont GreenErika Rose | Alicia KeysKumasi | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 14 |
Samsonite Man
|
Alicia KeysErika Rose | Alicia Augello CookErika Rose | Alicia KeysKerry Brothers Jr. | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
| 15 |
Nobody Not Really (Interlude)
|
Alicia KeysTaneisha Smith | Alicia Augello CookTaneisha Smith | Alicia Keys | Alicia Augello Cook (Lead Vocals) |
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 27 contributors
AK
Alicia Keys
Writer · Producer
AA
Alicia Augello Cook
Writer · Vocals
KB
Kerry Brothers Jr.
Writer · Producer
ER
Erika Rose
Writer
HL
Harold Lilly
Writer
TS
Taneisha Smith
Writer
KW
Kanye West
Writer · Producer
AH
Andre Harris
Writer
BB
Burt Bacharach
Writer
CN
Candice Nelson
Writer
CM
Clarence McMurray
Writer
GJ
Gloria Jones
Writer
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Frequently Asked Questions The Diary of Alicia Keys
Did Alicia Keys write The Diary of Alicia Keys herself?
Yes, Alicia Keys wrote and produced almost the entire album herself. She worked with a small group of collaborators including Kerry Brothers Jr., Kanye West, Timbaland, Easy Mo Bee, D'wayne Wiggins, and Dre & Vidal, but the songwriting and production voice across the record is largely her own.
Who wrote You Don't Know My Name by Alicia Keys?
You Don't Know My Name was written by Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and Harold Lilly. Keys and West produced the track, which samples The Main Ingredient's 1975 song Let Me Prove My Love to You, using its piano and vocal backgrounds.
Did If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys win a Grammy?
Yes, If I Ain't Got You won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005. The song, which Keys wrote and produced entirely on her own, was also nominated for Song of the Year at the same ceremony but did not win that category.
What was the highest-charting single from The Diary of Alicia Keys?
You Don't Know My Name was the highest-charting single, peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. If I Ain't Got You followed at number 4, Diary reached number 8, and Karma peaked at number 20.
How many copies did The Diary of Alicia Keys sell?
The album sold over eight million copies worldwide by 2007. In the United States it sold 618,000 copies in its first week and was later certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA in 2020.
What genres define The Diary of Alicia Keys?
The album is primarily an R&B and soul record, with elements of contemporary classical and hip hop. Keys' classical piano training is woven through the arrangements alongside the soul and hip hop production.
What Grammy Awards did The Diary of Alicia Keys win?
The album won Best R&B Album at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005. Its songs also won Best R&B Song for You Don't Know My Name and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for If I Ain't Got You at the same ceremony, and the album later won Best Immersive Audio Album in 2024.
Who produced Karma by Alicia Keys?
Karma was produced by the team of Dre & Vidal, among the outside collaborators Keys brought in for the album. It was released as a single and peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.