In a year of superb, politically charged albums by black American artists, Alicia Keys’s sixth record is a standout, on which her signature piano takes second place to her urgent voice. Kill Your Mama is a Marvin Gaye-ish plea for ecological awareness, Illusion of Bliss an organ-fugged, bluesy portrait of addiction, while The Gospel celebrates the history of black culture with a punchy, half-rapped vocal. Best of all are Holy War, which sorrows over the world’s skewed priorities as it showcases the gritty, gut-punch power of Keys’s voice at its best over acoustic guitar and cavernous beats, and Blended Family (What You Do for Love), a rare, sweet testament to the new normal of remarriage, typical of the album’s warmth, wisdom and confident class.
