Alicia Keys has revealed that her upcoming album is “very close to being cooked”.
The Fallin’ singer-songwriter has teased that she is nearing completion of her next album, dubbed Keys II, which is reportedly set for release later this year.
The record will follow her 2021 eighth studio album, Keys, which featured tracks including Best of Me, Plentiful and Is It Insane.
During a recent interview with The Times, Keys explained that she approached the new project with a greater sense of confidence and creativity.
“As time continues I get to be more confident, more creative,” she shared. “At the beginning you’re stumbling around like an idiot, trying to figure it out, so it’s amazing to get to this point.”
The Girl on Fire hitmaker added, “The music is very close to being cooked and I’m excited.”
Keys went on to explain that, like her previous work, the album will carry emotional depth and meaning.
“It’s hard for me to share what the direction is,” the singer said when asked what fans can expect from the record. “I have trouble labelling things, but I will say there is a craft, an ability to write songs that mean something to people, which has given me longevity and you’ll hear that in the new album.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Keys reflected on one of her biggest hits, Empire State of Mind, with Jay-Z, and its lasting impact.
“I still can’t believe how much it moves people, how it speaks to having a dream and going for it,” she shared of the 2009 song. “Neither Jay nor myself could do anything new for a whole year afterwards because nothing else was burning into the consciousness.”
Keys’ upcoming album does not yet have an official release date.
