The Diary of Alicia Keys

The Diary of Alicia Keys is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. It was released on November 30, 2003, by J Records. Almost entirely written and produced by Keys, the album is a concept album functioning as her auditory diary, primarily dealing with relationship complexities. Musically, it is predominantly a soul, R&B, contemporary classical, and hip-hop record.

While touring in support of her debut studio album Songs in A Minor (2001), Keys began writing songs for The Diary of Alicia Keys, conceiving it as an intimate record devoid of featured artists. Recording sessions commenced following the Songs in A Minor Tour's culmination in December 2002, and continued even into the international promotional tour ahead of the album's release in November 2003. Keys' then-partner and frequent collaborator Kerry Brothers Jr. largely contributed to the album, while other contributors included Timbaland, Easy Mo Bee, Kanye West, and Dre & Vidal, with whom Keys collaborated for the first time. Furthermore, Keys eschewed the neo soul style of Songs in A Minor in favor of 1960s–1970s-influenced traditional soul for The Diary of Alicia Keys.

The Diary of Alicia Keys received widespread acclaim from music critics, who generally agreed that it refuted expectations of a sophomore slump, while praising Keys' artistic maturity and vocal performance. A substantial commercial success, it debuted atop the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 618,000 units, and became one of the best-selling albums of 2003 and 2004, both nationally and globally. The album yielded four singles, three of which—"You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary"—reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and were among biggest hits of 2004 in the US. To further promote The Diary of Alicia Keys, Keys embarked on the Verizon Ladies First Tour (2004), co-headlined with Beyoncé and Missy Elliott, and the Diary Tour (2004–2005).

The Diary of Alicia Keys earned Keys nominations for numerous industry awards, and won her her second Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, among other awards. In retrospective commentaries, a multitude of critics stated that the album solidified Keys' status in the music industry, and extended her critical and commercial success past her debut. By the release of its successor As I Am (2007), The Diary of Alicia Keys had sold over eight million copies worldwide. In 2020, it was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales and album-equivalent units of five million in the US. In commemoration of its 20th anniversary, the album was reissued as The Diary of Alicia Keys 20 in December 2023, and won a Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album.