Alicia says shes unconcerned.doc

Alicia says shes unconcerned Pre-reading 1. Are you a pop song fan? Have you heard of Grammy? Text THE pressure of following up a hugely popular, Grammy-winning album is enough to make even veteran artists nervous. But 22-year-old American Alicia Keys -- whose debut album, Songs in A Minor sold over 10 million copies worldwide and won a record-tying five Grammys in 2002 -- simply laughs off any pressure over the Dec 2 release of her highly anticipated second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. Im cool, says Keys, Im not concerned because what I have is good. It has heart and soul, and that means something. In fact, Keys has been unusually confident from an early age. She learned self-reliance, she says, from her mother Terri Augello, a white woman, who raised her alone in Harlem, New York. Keys father, who is black, left when Keys was two years old. Keys mother made sure she got a formal education in music and piano from childhood. Thats such a major part of who I am, Keys explains. My whole understanding of music comes from that time. Judging from the reception that her first single, You Dont Know My Name, got, shes probably right to be so at ease. The soulful song, which features her angelic harmonies, reflects her passion for the music of the 60s and 70s. Keys was introduced by music mogul Clive Davis on his JRecords label in 2001 and seen as a superstar in the making. And Keys -- with her stunning looks and soulful, powerful voice that recall Whitney Houston -- lived up to the hype. Her first single Fallin, went to No 1 on the charts, and she was only the second woman besides Lauryn Hill to receive five Grammys including Best Song and Best New Artist, in one night. After the success, Keys spent a year travelling and performing worldwide. The tour has increased her confidence to let myself do what I felt and say what I felt. She says her voice is stronger, and her piano playing is better. When you pick up this album, youre gonna feel the change from Songs . It sits