No One (Alicia Keys song)
"No One" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her third studio album As I Am (2007). It was written and produced by Keys and Kerry Brothers Jr., with additional writing by DJ Dirty Harry. The song was released as the lead single from As I Am on October 9, 2007, by J Records.
"No One"
October 9, 2007
4:13
- Alicia Keys
- Kerry Brothers Jr.
- George M. Harry
- Alicia Keys
- Kerry "Krucial" Brothers
A commercial success, "No One" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and also reached number one in Croatia, Hungary and Switzerland, while charting within the top ten in 18 additional countries. It was the third most successful song of 2008 in Brazil and the United States, and was the most listened song on US radio, with 3.08 billion listeners.[2] It was also the sixth most successful song of the 2000s decade in the US.
"No One" has been certified nonuple times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 5.6 million copies worldwide. Critically acclaimed, it won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards (2008).
Background and release[edit]
"No One" was written and produced by Alicia Keys, Kerry Brothers Jr., and George M. Harry. Keys told MTV News Canada that the song, "is really talking about the way that in relationships, the way that so many things are around you all the time to try to distract you. And even though people may talk and say whatever they may want to say, but then no one can get in the way of this."[3] Keys said that it was a song that "just wrote itself".[4] It was one of the last songs written for the album.[4]
The song was first heard in August 2007 after Keys included a clip of the song in a newsletter on her official website and fan club. It was released officially on September 10, 2007, and its radio premiere was on Atlanta's WVEE on August 29. Keys performed a medley of "No One" with George Michael's "Freedom! '90" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards on September 9. Remixes of the song featuring Lil' Kim, Damian Marley, Junior Reid, Beenie Man, Barbee, and Kanye West exist. The official remix has a different but similar beat from the original version and features rapper Cassidy; it was produced by Swizz Beatz.