Total Album Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Alicia Keys has been nothing but successful for 12 years. It certainly shows because the soulful R&B/pop artist once again brings class and relatable energy to the table with her new EP, “Girl on Fire.”

Keys starts off the record with an interesting introduction titled “De Novo Adagio.” It shows her natural musical talent even more, as it is only her playing the piano. Many of the tracks do seem to have a familiar beat, but with the great messages the songs convey, it doesn’t really matter.

The best songs on the album are “Brand New Me,” “Girl on Fire,” “Tears Always Win,” and “Not Even the King,” due to the powerful emotions they invoke in the listener. “Not Even the King” was a particular standout on the CD, with Keys saying that no rich person could ever buy the connection that true lovers share. However, the radio hit “Girl on Fire” could have been even better if Nicki Minaj wasn’t on the record.  She did not fit the vibe of Keys’s album at all.

Not one song lacked inspirational lyrics.  However, “Listen to Your Heart” and “Fire We Make” were too slow, even though the collaboration with R&B/soul singer Maxwell complemented Keys’s voice very well. Alicia Keys might not currently be the most popular singer, but she definitely isn’t going anywhere.

My ratings for the tracks are as follows:

1. “Brand New Me”-5 stars

2. “When It’s All Over”-4 stars

3. “Listen To Your Heart”-3.5 stars

4. “New Day”-4 stars

5. “Girl On Fire” (Inferno Version) ft. Nicki Minaj-5 stars

6. “Fire We Make” ft. Maxwell-3.5 stars

7. “Tears Always Win”-5 stars

8. “Not Even The King”-5 stars

9. “That’s When I Knew”-4.5 stars

10. “Limitedless”-4 stars

11. “One Thing”-4 stars

12. “101”- 4.5 stars

Lauren Fabiszak is an In-Depth Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.