(The Root) — Songstress Alicia Keys is back with visuals for the uplifting piano ballad "Not Even the King," the newest single from her forthcoming album, Girl on Fire. The singer, who recently sang this slow jam in the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, is also fresh from her "Girl on Fire" performance at the 2012 MTV VMAs.
Though the singer herself is absent in the video, Keys' powerful sentiments about love and wealth are brought to the forefront because viewers can read the song's artfully rendered lyrics, which were co-written by rising British R&B star Emeli Sande. Here are a few lines: "Some people waste their lives counting their thousands/I don't care what they're offering/How much gold they bring/They can't afford what we got/ Not even the king/They can't afford what we got/Not even the king."
With the help of director Laban Pheidias, as well as a team of skilled graphic designers, the video for "Not Even the King" drops the glitz and glam to showcase some pretty awesome stop-motion animation and Basquiat-inspired images.
Watch the music video for "Not Even the King" below, and stay tuned for Alicia Keys' upcoming album, Girl on Fire, which is set for release in November.
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