Alicia Keys stands up for the underdogs on new single
If I am interpreting the signals right, the follow up to Alicia Keys’ 2016 album Here should not be too far away. The singer and songwriter made a comeback last year with the Miguel duet ‘Show Me Love’ and did not wait long until she dropped the more uptempo ‘Time Machine’. She kicks off the new year with the new single ‘Underdog’, which is the best of the three if you ask me!

‘Underdog’, which Alicia co-wrote with a team of songwriters including Ed Sheeran and produced with Johnny McDaid, is a midtempo pop song with influences from R&B and a prominent choir in the production. The laid back guitar riff creates a warm and cautiously uplifting vibe, which is exactly what the lyrics are supposed to do as well. Keys dedicates the song to the underdogs, like single mothers, traders at the busstop and sons on the front line, telling them they will rise up if they follow their dreams. At the same time, she tells the story of a woman having conversations with a homeless man and a taxi driver, which make an impression on all involved. “One conversation, a single moment, the things that change us if we notice when we look up sometimes”, she sings. That is a good resolution to start off the new year with!