It would have been so easy.. Alicia could have hauled in a bunch of her new music industry friends for a ton of formulaic rap/r&b collabos. Instead she went in the lab with Timbaland, Kayne West and Krucial Keys to mix together an album that shows she's all about this music ish. It's not a game. It's about letting the miracle of creative talents release itself in the sediment of the songs that are created. In other words, doing what feels good, comes from the heart and stretches the borders of the genre in a way you can honestly that you've contributed to the art of music. That's a mish mash of words that when recombinated simply say this album is better than her first. I'd like to say it's HOT. Let's try something new like.. it's a blanket in the cold, cold winter.

One listen to "Harlem's Nocturne" lets you know that this isn't gonna be an everyday affair. That's Alicia's thing though.. the piano lady. What she does for the remainder of the album is deliver a soul stew

Whether written by herself or just pushed in the booth and instructed to sing, it all sounds like it's from the heart. More importantly, it sounds good - there are plenty of "from the heart albums" that really stink. I won't go as far as to call it a classic or anything, but it has this intagible quality that makes it feel retro without false pretense. It's so appropriate that it was released in the winter: it's nice and warm.. you know, like a blanket in the cold, cold winter.