About Alicia Keys (Updated May 8, 2013)

Alicia Keys is a "Girl on Fire." Literally. At least that was the impression when the singer-songwriter, producer and actress rolled out the title and artwork to her fifth studio album, due out November 27. Calling the project an "evolution," Keys revealed the cover art on Facebook on August 23. The black and white image features the songstress in a Tom Ford dress and accessorized with jewelry from Bijules and Love Rocks (among others). Her pose also suggests a confident artist ready to reclaim her spot at the top of the music charts.

Often referred to as an "overnight sensation," Keys took the music world by storm when her 2001 debut album, "Songs in A Minor," sold more than 50,000 copies during its first day of release and eventually moved more than ten million units worldwide. It was an impressive start for the woman born Alicia Augello Cook and would adopt the stage name of Alicia Keys when she inked her first record deal.

Finding an ally in Clive Davis was Keys' initial step to success, and when she moved from Columbia Records to Davis' J Records behind a large-scale publicity campaign, she found herself taking interviews on Oprah's couch and ultimately netting five Grammys for her freshman album. It guaranteed the successful launch of her sophomore effort, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," and spawned a poetry book and a live CD/DVD package, "Unplugged."

Keys' focus shifted when she starred in the TV series Charmed, then made the jump to the silver screen to appear in films like Smokin' Aces, The Nanny Diaries and The Secret Life of Bees. Her third studio album, "As I Am," was released in 2007 and sold six million copies worldwide, while her fourth, "The Element of Freedom," became Keys' first chart-topper in the United Kingdom.

Before "Girl on Fire" dropped in November 2012, Keys appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on September 6 and at Kaufmann Concert Hall in New York City on September 10. Fast forward into 2013, and she was named as the Global Creative Director at the Blackberry 10 Experience event in New York City on January 30. And four days later, she opened Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans by singing the National Anthem.

Outside of music, Keys has made a name for herself as a philanthropist and AIDS advocate. Her latest initiative is a campaign aimed at reaching out specifically to American women. It's called "Empowered" and will provide community-based grants of up to $25,000 for programs focused on women as a way to open up meaningful dialogue about HIV in this country.

Keys is currently touring Europe, with shows scheduled through June.