New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Alicia Keys releases a new single in-tribute to the 10 year anniversary of her "As I Am" album.
"You was always on my mind," she sings on the emotional track. "When you were gone, did you think of me? / Now you're back putting on this act / That I was always in your heart."
Taking to her personal website, Keys reflected on the recording session. "This is one of the very first songs I came back from Egypt and wrote," said wrote. "Maybe it was the second song, the first one had a whole Egyptian vibe, I'll play that for you one day too. But this one really started to create the sound that 'As I Am' has. We were experimenting with a lot of keyboards and sounds and styles of recording, and we were all about breaking boundaries and writing things in new ways."
"When You Were Gone" is available for a limited time on Alicia's website. However, fans who sign up for "The Vault" will get unlimited access to a variety of items, including photos, videos, diaries, and other archives.
As I Am debuted at No 1 and was certified 3x platinum, spawning hit singles including "No One," "Superwoman," and "Like You'll Never See Me Again." Listen to the previously-unheard "When You Were Gone" below: