With all-time classics such as ‘Girl on Fire’, ‘Empire State of Mind’, and ‘Fallin’’ in the bag, multi-Grammy-award-winning, multi-million-selling singer-songwriter Alicia Keys is one of the undeniable greats of soul and R&B music. After debuting as a 20-year-old in 2001, she became the second-most-successful female artist of the 2000s, and since then, her reputation has only grown. Her first five albums topped either the US or UK album charts, and she has twice been listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her influence on generations of aspiring writers and performers cannot be underestimated.

When Key’s debut single, ‘Fallin’’ dropped in the spring of 2001, it became an instant classic. Her debut album, Songs in a Minor, followed that summer and became a game-changer, selling millions of copies worldwide (it had sold 7 million in the US alone). Keys’ music has rarely been off the radio since, with worldwide hits such as 2004’s duet with Usher, ‘My Boo’ and ‘No One’. Her most-streamed song on Spotify, 2004’s ‘If I Ain’t Got You’, has been streamed over 745 million times.

As well as a stream of classic albums — The Diary of Alicia Keys, As I Am, The Element of Freedom, Girl on Fire — Keys is also a spellbinding live performer, as attested by her live albums and her appearances at major events such as Live Earth and other American benefit concerts. She has always used her status and her talent for good, advocating for anti-racist and pro-women causes and most notably co-founding the Keep a Child Alive non-profit, which supports families in Africa and India who are affected by HIV and AIDS.