Though she may not be the biggest artist on Billboard’s charts in 2021, there’s no denying that at 40, Alicia Keys is widely regarded as one of the 21st century’s most successful pop acts and a musical prodigy. With her eighth album, Keys—following just a year after part one of her self-titled project, Alicia—she has curated a sprawling album that features multiple versions of most of its songs.

This project is broken into two albums. The first is Originals, where the songs are more stripped back, piano-led and vocally raw. It was entirely produced by Keys herself. The second, Unlocked, features versions that have undergone production by the likes of Mike-Will-Made-It and are polished to work more for radio audiences. There’s something of Keys here for everyone. If you’re into her craftsmanship and piano skills, listen to part one. If you’re into her biggest past hits, take a listen to the Unlocked portion.

One of the album’s strongest tracks, “Is It Insane,” sounds distinct yet excellent in both its Originals and Unlocked forms. The first is a six-minute, 20-second ballad where we hear Keys stretch and strain her voice with delicacy, a unique sound that defines her music. It’s a jazzy ballad with a flow similar to Sade’s “Is It A Crime.” The unlocked version cuts nearly two minutes, though fortunately nothing sounds missing, and employs more rounded out beats with sharper drops.

Songs like “Old Memories,” Only You” and “Dead End Road” are noticeably different and should be appreciated in both versions. However, differences in others like “Skydive” or “Best of Me” are minimal. One or the other is more of a bonus cut; or perhaps Alicia Keys should have held it for a future release altogether.

Unfortunately, due to the length of the entire project—26 songs that end up clocking in at 95 minutes—it might not be plausible to sit and take the entire thing on on one listen. Add to that Keys’ decision to shuffle the tracklisting while also including four tracks on the first part that don’t have Unlocked versions and two on Unlocked without an Originals version, and it starts to get confusing. Once you’ve heard all of the 16 different songs, you’ll probably have lost track of which version you preferred.

“Billions,” with lyrics like “Nobody else can say it ain’t true/ I am one in a billion/ You are one in a billion/ We got one in a billion,” is uplifting and inspirational in typical Keys fashion—think “Girl On Fire”—though it doesn’t have the same undeniable catchiness. “Like Water,” only on Originals, is a songwriting collaboration with Sia, and with Keys’ smoother voice and piano skills, it ends up sounding unlike every other song Sia has written. That’s a good thing.

“Nat King Cole” shows her admiration for one of music’s greats who paved a path for Alicia Keys herself. “Let the chandeliers fall/ While you’re standing tall like the Taj Mahal/ Be unforgettable/ Like Nat King Cole,” she sings in the chorus, reminding us of her lyricism and appreciation for authentic beauty. Interestingly enough, this is the only song with an Unlocked feature. Lil Wayne joins her and actually gives the song a new spin that makes it feel like less of a tribute.

Almost all the other songs with just one version on this project are collaborations, with Khalid and Lucky Daye, Pusha T, Swae Lee and even Brandi Carlile making appearances. But ultimately, maybe the track to appreciate the most is the concluding piece of Originals. “KEYS” runs only 90 seconds and features just piano. Though set to serve as a transition, it ultimately becomes the most refreshing part.

Follow Domenic Strazzabosco at Twitter.com/domenicstrazz and Instagram.com/domenicstrazz.