Alicia is the seventh studio album by Alicia Keys (pictured) and released on September 18, 2020. Alicia's mostly low-tempo and melodically subtle music reconciles her experimental direction with bass drum–driven R&B; and piano-based balladry. The songs explore identity as a multifaceted concept, sociopolitical concerns, and forms of love within multiple frameworks. Keys described the album as therapeutic and reflective of greater introspection in herself. After a surprise announcement of its impending release in September, Alicia debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 in its first week and became Keys's eighth top-10 record in the US, while charting in the top 10 in several other countries. It received critical praise for Keys's nuanced vocal performances and the music's broad appeal, while her thematic messages were considered balanced, healing, and timely against the backdrop of unfolding world events. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album in 2022.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_%28album%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1850:

The United States Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, decreeing that all escaped slaves be brought back to their masters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugitive_Slave_Act_of_1850

1870:

Nathaniel P. Langford of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition first observed a geyser in the Wyoming Territory erupting at regular intervals, naming it Old Faithful (video featured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Faithful

1948:

The Australian cricket team's Invincibles tour of England concluded; they had played 34 matches, including five Tests, without defeat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cricket_team_in_England_in_1948

1950:

Korean War: The Korean People's Army retreated from the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter after six weeks of fighting, marking the farthest that the KPA would advance in the war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Pusan_Perimeter

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

handkerchief tree: 1. The dove tree (Davidia involucrata), which has large white bracts said to look like handkerchiefs. 2. (archaic) An arrangement of handkerchiefs in the form of a tree, specifically on a stand as a display for sale. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/handkerchief_tree

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.   --Samuel Johnson https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Samuel_Johnson