# Alicia Keys in Melbourne



## louella (Dec 9, 2008)

I just got home from the Alicia Keys concert here in Melbourne Rod Laver Arena. I was about 6 rows from the front so I had a pretty good view and sound. Must admit it went pretty quickly, and for the cost i feel that it could have gone longer. All props go to her and her band especially who almost nailed everything. It sounded amazing from where I was standing, and there was definitely a great vibe in the arena so it made it even better. It was so much better than her first concert here, as there were no dress changes or anything stagey.. and id say it was more like her unplugged performance. most of the songs she sang were her singles, with the second song from her as i am album starting off and ending with no one and if i aint got you. She's sang better in other performances though, but i guess i only say that cos of some songs where she kinda sounded a bit smurfy. all up i loved it, thats why im sitting here at 1:45am writing about it. ah memories...


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2008)

Personally I have not heard of the woman, but would guess by you post that she is a Pop artist?? Perhaps we should have a Pop forum,


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Andante said:


> Personally I have not heard of the woman, but would guess by you post that she is a Pop artist??


R&b. Singer/pianist.


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

> Singer/pianist.


Ish.

*Insert more words*


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## louella (Dec 9, 2008)

Andante said:


> Personally I have not heard of the woman, but would guess by you post that she is a Pop artist?? Perhaps we should have a Pop forum,


this is the NON-CLASSICAL MUSIC section of the forum


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2008)

jhar26 said:


> R&b. Singer/pianist.


Well it may be R&B to you but to me it is just US Pop, terrible stuff,


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## louella (Dec 9, 2008)

I'd say its pop. Why don't you like pop Andante?


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2008)

It is purely a matter of taste some pop I can live with 'The Beatles' 'ABBA' but this kind of thing does nothing for me what-so-ever, all music is subjective, to me this is mindless drivel, Now *louella* you explain why you like it, that would be far more interesting


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## louella (Dec 9, 2008)

oh btw heres a song from her unplugged show... its one of my faves. i know you most likely have no interest but just in case you wanted to hear it as you said you hadn't heard of her before..


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## louella (Dec 9, 2008)

hehe okay fair enough, theres only some pop i do like also, and she is one of them. her band sound amazing live. its like a fusion of pop and rnb, sometimes it'll turn to jazz, and she'll play some classical pieces too. i like how most of her lyrics have positive messages to give to people, especially younger kids who many of them listen to pop.

To be honest i was never a pop fan but just like classical and jazz and metal i decided to give it a go and see what they are about. Having surrounded myself with pop musicians, producers, and managers in that industry, i found that they really push appealing to a mainstream and broader group of people. A lot of times they write to suit the audience rather than from in their heart. This isn't something i really agree with as a lot of times they write songs to use as "album fillers" instead. This is what I was told anyway.

I've watched one of Melbourne's producers work on a pop album and theres actually a lot of work put into it than i realised. so i give them props for it even though i may not like the music. for me it depends when it comes to pop. dare i say, Michael Jackson, his earlier pop music was something i grew up with. so i love it.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Andante said:


> Well it may be R&B to you but to me it is just US Pop, terrible stuff,


I didn't exactly say that I'm a fan. To me it's pop too - the few things I've heard sound like Mariah Carey + piano to me. But everyone puts her (for whatever reason - probably because she's black) in the r&b category. But let's face it - real r&b or soul has been as good as dead since disco sucked the life out of it in the late 70's.


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

> I'd say its pop. Why don't you like pop Andante?


Although pop music (from a grass roots level) is heading in a better direction, music in the 90s and early 00s (...?) was just commercial tripe with no musicality at all. A drum beat so the massed can instantly understand the... beat of the music. That was all. A lot of commercial music is _still_ a lot like this, but it is getting better thank god!

Also, Beatles is actually, musically very interesting music. I find queen relatively interesting also.


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2008)

First, I am an acoustic purist I do not like amplified instruments, Violin, Guitar etc, also the modern "Rock" chords sound terrible to my ears and when boosted by 6,000000 watts are shattering
I find female singers that sound like a 9 year old girl irritating. And singers that slur words and use their (very attractive at times) body's to sell an song are also a source of irritation, you see I am showing my age. 

*Re Yagan's comments* In its day ABBA produced a Sound that captivated the world "old and young" believe me I was there they also crafted some songs that lasted the rounds.
The Beatles were in a class of there own and although I was never a Fan, their songs were evergreens and will never die .Lennon and McCartney were writers of the top kind, I cant comment on Queen as I really have not paid any attention to them.
To Day songs that will last the distance seem to come from Musicals such as Cats, Chicago Etc Etc, it is a great pity that the art of song writing fell so badly, after all a lot of Jazz is based on popular tunes, they are so easy to improvise on. and of course all Jazz musicians would be lost with out Gershwin's input


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

> I find female singers that sound like a 9 year old girl irritating. And singers that slur words and use their (very attractive at times) body's to sell an song are also a source of irritation, you see I am showing my age.


It is only evidence that they need that to sell the music - Beatles weren't exactly pretty.


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## louella (Dec 9, 2008)

I can agree with you that listening to female singers that sound like 9 year old girls irritating and also selling their bodies to get people to notice them. As a woman I get frustrated when I see and hear of these things happening. Especially to younger youths who are just starting in the industry. They hold a lot of weight on their shoulders at such a young age because of the misguidance of their promotions manager. There is a young artist at the moment that a producer friend is currently working with. I was given 4 different photographs of the same girl, all were different 'looks' and I was asked to which one I thought was the best suited for her. Whatever was decided upon was how they were going to market the girl. Basically, the point I'm trying to get at, is that many times the artist themselves don't control (to a degree) how they are to present themselves.

Another time I was at a recording overseas with about 5-6 young ladies with amazingly powerful voices. Once again I was asked an opinion on how marketing them would be best. some of the ideas that others had brought up, though intended for good, can lead to something completely different. I myself was offended by it. These girls were strong and confident. They all had been through rough upbringings so it just seemed like a big cop out to make them out to be something completely opposite to who they were. 

Anyway, I wouldn't say that it is all like that. There are talented pop artists out there who don't sit under that umbrella. And I feel they deserve some credit, at least from those who like that genre.


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## Rachovsky (Jan 5, 2008)

Personally, I feel like Alicia Keys tends to scream and squeal. _No one_ may be a good song, but listen to her on the high notes....


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

louella said:


> I can agree with you that listening to female singers that sound like 9 year old girls irritating and also selling their bodies to get people to notice them. As a woman I get frustrated when I see and hear of these things happening. Especially to younger youths who are just starting in the industry. They hold a lot of weight on their shoulders at such a young age because of the misguidance of their promotions manager. There is a young artist at the moment that a producer friend is currently working with. I was given 4 different photographs of the same girl, all were different 'looks' and I was asked to which one I thought was the best suited for her. Whatever was decided upon was how they were going to market the girl. Basically, the point I'm trying to get at, is that many times the artist themselves don't control (to a degree) how they are to present themselves.


I think that a lot of all that has to do with the arrival of MTV in 80's. Of course there were also sexy women in pop/rock before MTV and they too used their good looks to sell records. But at least it was still mostly about the record. People bought a 45rpm or lp because they listened to, say, Linda Ronstadt or Stevie Nicks on the radio and liked what they heard. The fact that they also happened to be good looking ladies was a nice bonus. But it was also possible for a woman to not look like a supermodel and make an impact on the pop/rock world.

But since MTV many youngsters in particular not so much buy their music based on what they have heard on the radio but on what they have seen on television. Image is at least as important, and often probably more important than the music itself. A good looking 17 year old (the younger the better) pole dancer with long legs, big boobs and a cute belly button - but mediocre musical ability - has a much better chance of making it than a 40 year old plain looking super talent.

I know I generalize too much here - which is never a good idea, but I really believe that MTV did harm popular music in a substantial manner. Not just the female side by the way. Suddenly males too began to pay too much attention to their wardrobe, their funny hairdo and/or how tough they appeared to be whenever there was/is a camera in sight. All these things were a part of pop/rock pre-MTV but their importance increased a lot when MTV came around. Whereas the packaging used to be a tool to sell the product, suddenly the packaging became the product itself with the music being basically little more than an afterthought.


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## Batrider (Jun 11, 2009)

Who cares????


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## Guest (May 31, 2010)

What is she ??? I know Pat Keys, a very good golfer


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