Alicia Keys was an instant hit when she came on the scene with her first single “Fallin’” but it wasn’t until her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, that I hopped on the bandwagon. To this day, “If I ain’t got you” is one of my favorite RnB songs. After I heard it on the radio I knew I had to buy the album when it dropped in the winter of 2003.
I remember trying unsuccessfully a few times to call in to Power After Hours on Power 105.1 to have the song dedicated to my boyfriend at the time. The words of the song meant so much to me, and you could hear Alicia’s heart and soul pour into the song. It was one of those songs I liked to bellow out when I was in the car by myself or home alone. Of course Alicia sang it way better than I did. My boyfriend of that time has since passed on but every time I hear that song I still think of him. The nostalgia it brings about is bitter sweet. Still, I find myself shushing others around me and turning it up whenever it comes on the radio so I can sing (croak) along.
– Written by Just Jewel
