Alicia to kick off tour at NIA

Twelve-times Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys will be kicking off her 2010 UK tour at Birmingham NIA.

She plays the NIA on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, her first UK appearance since her critically acclaimed As I Am Tour in 2007. Tickets cost £35 and £40, plus booking fee.

The tour will follow the release of her highly anticipated fourth album, The Element Of Freedom, which is released on December 14. Its first single, Doesn't Mean Anything, has just been released.

Keys describes The Element Of Freedom as a dichotomy of strength and vulnerability: "The music is really strong, and the drums are really aggressive, but my voice is vulnerable and delicate."

In addition to her long time producer Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Keys enlisted the production talents of Jeff Brasker (Kanye West, Keri Wilson) among others

Keys has collaborated with the world's biggest rapper Jay-Z, written hits for Whitney Houston's recent comeback album, held her own on stage duetting with everyone from Lou Reed and David Bowie to Chris Martin and Annie Lennox, and has even been dubbed "the girl who made Bob Dylan weep" after being immortalised by him in the title track of his 2007 album Modern Times.

Live, Alicia, has drawn rave reviews. In the words of The Times: "a combination of razor-sharp musical instincts and consummate showmanship… A supreme musical talent and a personality as bold as the best. Keys has got the lot. "