Fallin'

This opens with a bit of classical music by Chopin, who Keys called "my dawg." She studied artists like Chopin, Beethoven, and Mozart when she played the piano growing up (she was born Alicia Augello-Cook, but took the stage name Keys because of the piano imagery). Unlike modern samples, classical music is fair game for reinterpretation, and can be used without paying for it. Since it is hundreds of years old, there is no one who can claim rights to the music and collect publishing/songwriting royalties.

This was the first single from Keys, who was 20 years old when it was released, but had started writing the song three years earlier. A prodigy who signed with Columbia records when she was 16, Keys wrote the song while she was at the label. Her Columbia album never materialized, as she never clicked with their vision. When she was 18, she left for J Records, a new label founded by Clive Davis. Under Davis, she was given more creative freedom, which worked out very well. "Fallin'" was a huge hit and validated Davis' strategy.

This song is about the emotions that occur when you care very deeply for a person. Keys was going through a turbulent relationship when she wrote it, which inspired the song. It was a case of young love being vivid, as it was a new experience. "Your first one affects you even more so because you don't have the experience to know how to play it," Keys said. "You're tripping your way through it, and those hardships and good times and just growing is how 'Fallin'' developed." Keys says that writing the song helped her work things out in the relationship.