Alicia Keys has achieved a new milestone on Spotify.
Her 2003 single “If I Ain’t Got You” has surpassed one billion streams on the platform. It’s her first song to cross this threshold on Spotify. Next in line is 2007’s “No One,” which has 818.2 million streams at the time of publication.
“If I Ain’t Got You,” written and produced by Keys, was released as the second single from her groundbreaking sophomore album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003). The piano ballad was inspired by Aaliyah’s untimely death.
“I actually wrote it after I heard that Aaliyah passed away,” Keys told Billboard. “I was on a plane, and I think being on the plane and knowing she passed away after a plane crash, it was this sentiment of being present in a moment and nothing else mattering but those that you love.”
“If I Ain’t Got You” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart.
“If I Ain’t Got You” scored Keys a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005. She also won Best R&B Album (The Diary of Alicia Keys) and Best R&B Song (“You Don’t Know My Name”).
Last December, Keys released The Diary of Alicia Keys 20, a deluxe edition of the album to commemorate its 20th anniversary.
In other music news, Keys released a new song on Friday titled “Kaleidoscope.” The song is from her Hell’s Kitchen musical that debuts at the Shubert Theatre on March 28, with the opening night set for April 20.
“Kaleidoscope” features supporting vocals from Maleah Joi Moon, who stars as Ali in the musical.
Stream “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys below.
