- Unplugged : by Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys has revived the MTV Unplugged franchise with her show and this album. Ms. Keys doesn't go the traditional unplugged route of stripping the songs down to their acoustic base, but she gives a stellar performance. She doesn't alter the grooves from the studio versions, but she lets the songs breath and flexes her voice muscles without going over the top. "Karma" and "Heartburn" perfectly segue together in a funky mix. "Fallin'" has a haunting violin and the combination of Gladys Knight & The Pips' "If I Were Your Woman" and "If I Ain't Got You" is the best moment on the album. There are several other covers on the album and they are hit and miss. The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" is a duet with Maroon 5's Adam Levine that never gels while her take on Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts" is a high note. Ms. Keys burst on the scene in 2001 with much fanfare and she has more than lived up to the hype.