Alicia Keys has tacked on more shows to her forthcoming North American tour behind “The Element of Freedom,” her newly-released fourth studio set. Thirteen concerts have been added to the schedule, which begins Feb. 28 in Montreal and works its way along the East Coast before heading west. The new dates extend the outing into April. A European leg is also being planned and will begin in late April. The full North American schedule is shown below.

February 2010
28 – Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
March 2010
1 – Kanata, Ontario – Scotiabank Place
3 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
5, 6 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theater
8 – London, Ontario – John Labatt Centre
10 – Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
11 – Quebec City, Quebec – Colisee Pepsi
13 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Casino
17 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
20 – Atlantic City, NJ – Mark Estess Arena
22 – Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
24 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
25 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
27 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena
28 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum
30 – Atlanta, GA – Phillips Arena
April 2010
2 – Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Theater
3 – Houston, TX – Toyota Centre
6 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
7 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion
9 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay

Thanks to Alex for sending me those photos from closed for paparazzi album release party 12-15-2009. You can check em out over here :

Love, Peace and Joy came down on earth on Christmas day to make you happy and cheerful. May Christmas spread cheer in your lives! Sending the warmest Christmas wishes to you and your family. May God shower his choicest blessings on you and your family this Christmas!

Alicia Keys’ album “The Element of Freedom” topped the R&B chart in its first week of sales, but fell short of Susan Boyle to land at No. 2 on the Top 200 Albums chart, her label said on Wednesday. The album, which is Keys’ latest release since her 2007 “As I Am,” sold more than 417,000 copies in the week since it hit stores, earning the singer her fifth straight chart topping debut, said Sony Music. The album also landed at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, behind middle-aged British singing sensation Susan Boyle’s debut album “I Dreamed a Dream,” said industry tracker Nielsen/Soundscan.

Released on December 15, “The Element of Freedom” includes the single “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart.” It also has a duet with Beyonce called “Put It In a Love Song” and Keys’ solo version of a recent collaboration with Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind.” Keys, 28, who broke onto the music scene in 2001, plans a concert tour beginning in March that will take her to Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles and other cities.

I’ve added first outtakes from Giant magazine 2009. I’m sorry for the tag on the center of the photos but I haven’t got any others. I will try to find other copies without the tag, so far enjoy those :

I have made HQ captures from two performances Alicia did few days ago : Today Show 17-12-2009 & Late Show With David Letterman 18-12-2009. She performed Empire state of mind on both shows.

“Empire State of Mind” co-writer Angela Hunte recently shared her reaction to the song’s success.

“I come from the same building where he lived, and we knew each other from BK, but we never worked together. Not in a million years did I think I’d make this hit for him,” says Hunte, who actually grew up at “560 State Street,” the street address Jay-Z mentions on the track. “I still have no words even for the World Series performance. You get your hopes up with artists but then things happen and the record doesn’t make it for whatever reason. But Jay loved the song, it made the album and it sounds crazy…[Alicia Keys] made the song sound so close to the original,” says Hunte. “She just nailed it and brought it home. It was a great choice…The original is so powerful it’s only a matter of time till you hear it down the line.”

I have added again some more photos from the M2 party. For me it was party for the month! I love how they look together and Alicia vibe is just so hot! Credit goes to : AllTheParties.com

I have came across a video posted by viewtheparty.com on youtube, from M2 Party (12/18/09) where Alicia appeared with her partner Swizz Beatz. You can watch the video here plus I have made some captures from it ( sory for the low quality )

Alicia Keys has made 2 videos with her friends to promote her Myspace Playlist. You can watch them here : Let’s Stay Together by Al Green & Welcome to Jamrock by Damien Marley and check out captures I have made