Track DescriptionAvailable in:
"Brand New Me" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her fifth studio album, Girl on Fire (2012). It was sent to radio by RCA Records on November 18, 2012 as the album's second official single. It was co-written by Keys and Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé. A follow-up to Keys' previous single "Girl on Fire", "Brand New Me" is a soft ballad, which Keys credits as her autobiography. Lyrically, the song is about personal growth and becoming a brand new version of yourself. It has been met with positive acclaim from critics. Keys has performed the song on several occasions including the iTunes Festival of 2012 and VH1 Storytellers.
The music video premiered on BET's 106 & Park on December 17, 2012. The music video, directed by Diane Martel, depicts Keys' "quest of self-discovery". The video opens with Keys looking uncomfortable as she sits down at her piano while "getting her a massive mop of curls prepped before a shoot". The director shows her affection, but she pulls away. Following her shoot, Keys strolls around the music video set in a quest for "self-discovery" and at one point is seen viewing herself in a handful of mirrors. She then rips off her curly "huge" wig, revealing her own hair. During the video, Keys wore a black catsuit with a "plunging neckline".[17] The clip ends with a smiling Keys returning to her piano as herself, as a note that says "The journey continues..." appears.
Jennifer Pearson of Daily Mail noted the clip to be an "emotional frenzy" as a liberated Keys "sings it out, finally free of her voluminous tresses." Pearson said "she grabs her curly hair and – surprise – tears it off and flings it across the darkened studio. That's when you realise it's just a wig and not her real hair at all." Rolling Stone called the music video a "triumphant turn at reinvention" from Keys. David Greenwald of Billboard said Keys is "starting a fresh story" with "style to match".
File Hashes HASH1: 26837E8E8682B22B
HASH2: 11070985DF6A009F
(MP3) HASH1: 6F391CBE3B986109
HASH2: 81707B94E65EE5F0
(MP3) HASH1: A99774BC7FB2F7E7
HASH2: 917F9257AA92B61A
(FLAC)