"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 19, 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 reviews. Keys has performed the song on several occasions including the iTunes Festival of 2012 and VH1 Storytellers.
Background and release
Girl on Fire is Keys' fifth studio album and a follow-up to The Element of Freedom (2009). It is her first release under RCA Records, after a re-organization at parent company Sony Music Entertainment led to her previous label J Records roster being absorbed into RCA. On November 10, 2012, Keys posted the link for the audio of "Brand New Me" while also tweeting the song's official artwork. She confirmed that it is the second single from Girl on Fire, stating: "'Brand New Me' is one of my favourites, it's going to be my second single and to me it's like my autobiography. It says everything about everywhere that I've come and who I am now. It's about being completely happy with finding yourself." The song's audio was uploaded to Keys' official VEVO channel. It impacted urban adult contemporary radio on November 19.
Composition
"Brand New Me" is a pop and R&B piano ballad with a duration of three minutes and fifty-three seconds (3:53), which is described as "delicate". Keys co-wrote the song with Scottish recording artist and writer Emeli Sandé. The pair had previously collaborated on Sandé's album, Our Version of Events (2012) for a song entitled "Hope". Sandé explained: "Writing with Alicia Keys was really great. I was nervous, but she’s a very warm person. She knew how to make people feel at ease." They also collaborated on two other songs from Girl on Fire. Of working with Sandé, Keys called it "instant magic" stating: "I have to say, myself and Emeli Sande – when we met and we really began to write together, it was instant magic and that doesn't happen all the time."
Lyrically, the song speaks about growing and evolving. Keys sings about being a brand new version of herself, where nobody has control of her mind, heart and soul. On her official website, the singer wrote: "Brand new me is about the journey it takes to get to a place where you are proud to be a new you." She sings over the soft piano melody: "It's , I'm not who I was before/You look surprised your words don't burn me anymore/Been meaning to tell ya, but I guess it's plain to see/Don't be mad, it's just a brand-new kinda me/Can't be bad, I've found a brand-new kinda free." According to Andy Kellman of Allmusic, Keys regards "Brand New Me" as her autobiography.
Critical reception
Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly called the song "triumphant" and wrote that Keys "shows off her trills and her cocky attitude". of Idolator wrote: "We like Alicia Keys just the way she’s always been, but if she wants to be a 'Brand New Me' more power to her" and called the song "a graceful piano ballad of the sort we know and love from Alicia." Carl Williott, also from Idolator, praised the track for not being generic, calling it: "the restrained type of pop song that’s becoming harder to find amidst the deluge of hyper-processed vocals and pseudo-dubstep." Mark Edward Nero of About.com praised the song for its empowering message of independence and compared it to her previous single, "Girl on Fire", writing: "Although the song couldn't be more different from the album's title track when it comes to tone and mood, the two songs share a theme of self-empowerment and independence." Scott Shetler of PopCrush noted Keys' vocals to be "breathy". Keenan Higgins of Vibe wrote that it is lyrically "one of her most powerful & inspirational songs to date" and said: "Be prepared to feel a boost of self-worth and intense inspiration with the sound of Alicia's crisp, confident vocals."