Alicia posted a blog message over at KrucialKeys.com a couple of days ago — click more below to read it.

I LOVE IT HERE
by Alicia

Just got finished reading all of your posts on Ann’s last Blog. (Big Up Ann!) she’s great aint she??
I love it here because it’s just this simple world were you can be who you really are, say what you want, feel what you feel and share it. I like that it is almost this underground world that people discover naturally.
Let me just take a few to thank you for those beautiful words that you wrote, memories that you shared, all the understanding and encouragement that you give that you’ve always given.
There are 2 things I pray for often (We’ll, I pray A lot, but as it relates to this…) The first thing is “something to say”. I ask for this because I think that if God has Given me the chance to speak to a large amount of people, I want to have something worthy to say, not just something that means nothing. The 2nd thing I pray for is “to ALWAYS have the courage to be myself”, Not only to be myself, but to be unafraid to do the unexpected, to do the things that are not always The “safe” thing, because those are the things that are the most enriching and the most exciting. I ask to be lead to where I belong and to truly be able to hear, listen and FOLLOW my instinct. I know that is how God speaks to us and I always want to listen. Anyway, not to get all heavy, but These are 2 things that are really important to me, I’m learning.
because of this I am unafraid, I am not worried, I am not concerned. Somewhere deep deep down I KNOW that everything that my life has been, has lead me to this moment now, As with all of our lives. And I KNOW that I have a destiny that Is to be fufilled, as we all do. and I KNOW that this Destiny is going to be something special and moving and tremendous. as we all have. And although I don’t know exactly how it’s all going to play out, I Do know that it is going to be more than I could EVER imagine. As it is with all of us! and so I put my heart into it, truly working hard and giving it my all and let GOD do the rest.

And that’s why I’m so DAMN excited!!!!LOL! Everywhere I go and everything I do I feel like I am holding this HUGE secret that I just can’t wait to let everyone in on…and that’s a great feeling! infact its a realy SLY grin!!

Here’s a little taste of the process of what hapens after most of the recording of an album is done:
SO for me, as you probably know by now, the recording process is really personal and intimate. Nobody is really involved in it except Me, K, Ann, the creative people I’ve been working with, Jeff, and peter (my A&R). Other than that it’s like this Big mystery. So when the album is close to done we start to get some of the important people at the Label to get into it. These are the people who truly support it and make sure they get behind it to make it win in everyway possible, like of course Clive, like the people who get you to know all about it and push it to radio, television and get the stores to buy it, the people who help to market and promote it. and thats just to name a few. Then, there are those same people not only in America but in Europe, in Asia, in South America…all over the world who get behind my record and help push it to the top. Then there are other people like the ones who own different magazines who help to review the album or give me the covers of magazines. There are the people who help sponser the album and the tours and any events we might need to do who have to hear the music and get excited about it. There are the DJ’s and radio programmers who need to get into it and support it from the beggining so that the music can be heard in many forums. and this is just a small bit of the proces of who is involved to make an great album be heard. And ALL these people have to be behind it and be excited so that they can help me to bring it to you in the biggest and best way possible. It’s an ineresting process, but it all lends to the overall feeling and enthusiasm of and for an album.

So Since you weren’t able to be in these listening sessions (yet, at least) let me at least tell you the names of the 6 songs we played:

1) Go Ahead
2) Superwoman
3) The thing About Love
4) Teenage Love Affair
5) Sure Looks Good To me
6) Like You’ll Never See me again

hmmmmmm mmmmmm…….Man oh man!!! do you see the sly grin????;-)

Everyday we get closer and closer and I’m humbly and gratefully looking forward to discovering with you, the journey it will take us on!

Much love, as always

Ak