I say “worst way” because what “Broken Heart” gains in verisimilitude, it lacks in verve and personality. “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart” manages the odd feat of sounding more like it was written by Prince than her Prince cover does the growling intro, the breathy acrobatic vocal tenor, the corny 80’s synths, the clipped pacing, the drum machine percussion and the underlying simplicity of the theme all hearken back to Parade-era Purple in the worst way. Much of her music references his style and sound she even managed to eke out a minor hit with her remake of “ How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore”. John Seroff: Alicia Keys’ debt to Prince is obvious. But how on earth do some people hear Prince in this thing? “The Beautiful Ones” was weird this is co-dependent. This time she lets cold synthesizers and booming drums carry the emotion that’s beyond her voice and brain. The song is a cascade of spine-shivering moments: the plea of “well, you can try sleeping in my bed,” the peal of “you know that I’ll always be in love with you,” the explosion of the chorus, the implosion as a drifting piano line fades to black.Īlfred Soto: I hate this woman and her phony, pus-infused nuevo soul schtick. Appropriately, Alicia Keys delivers a tour de force performance, at once curl-up-under-the-duvet intimate and scream-it-from-the-rooftops desperate: she trembles with lust, gasps beneath suffocating loneliness, punches the air with anthemic determination.
And I rather admire where the song goes, lyrically.Īlex Macpherson: With its crashing drums and whirring bass reminiscent of “The Beautiful Ones”, “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart” revs up like a jet taking off. Matt Cibula: Okay, THIS is what A.Keys should be doing - mixing up the decades, nailing down a pretty song through careful singing instead of trying to show off her (overrated) pipes.
And the tension between the contemporary production, the cheeseball tune, and the restrained but sexy vocal is what makes it work. Pharrell Williamsīut man, if ever there was a scene made for Shipley’s First Hypothesis, it may well have been the bit where Alicia heals a dead dog…Īl Shipley: This is more synth and drum machine-driven than the average Keys single, but the melody sounds like it was written for an Olympics opening ceremony.
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