After graduating from high school, Keys signed with Columbia Records to begin her music career. She recorded an album in 1998 under the label, which they rejected. Her contract subsequently ended with Columbia after a dispute with the label, and Keys later signed with Clive Davis. An accomplished, classically trained pianist, Keys wrote, arranged and produced a majority of the album, including “Jane Doe”, which is the only song on the album actually in the key of A minor.Â
Keys rented an apartment and struggled to create an album. She began writing the song “Troubles” and came to a realization: “That’s when the album started comin’ together.
Finally, I knew saya Alicia how to structure my feelings into something that made sense, something that can translate to people. That was a changing point. My confidence was up, way up.” Keys learned how to produce by asking questions to the producers and engineers; she wrote, arranged and produced a majority of the album.
DJ 3xL
Songs in A Minor. (2017, March 15)