"Diary"
Single by Alicia Keys featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!
from the album The Diary of Alicia Keys
ReleasedMay 24, 2004 (2004-05-24)[1]
Length4:44
LabelJ
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys singles chronology
"If I Ain't Got You"
(2004)		 "Diary"
(2004)		 "My Boo"
(2004)
Music video
"Diary" on YouTube

"Diary" is a song by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys from her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003). Written by Keys and Kerry Brothers, Jr. and produced by Keys, the song features the American group Tony! Toni! Toné! on bass, piano, guitar, organ and Wurlitzer, while Jermaine Paul provides uncredited additional vocals. It was released on May 24, 2004, as the album's third single. At one time, "Diary" had been released as a double A-side with "If I Ain't Got You".[2]

"Diary" was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 2005 Grammy Awards. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Its Hani remixes topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart in late 2004.

Critical reception

Mark Anthony Neal of PopMatters said the "sparse production" of the song "gives Keys ample space to work out her ideas."[3]

Music video

The single's music video, directed by Lamont "Liquid" Burrell, Rod Isaacs, Jeff Robinson, and Brian Campbell, contains footage of several live concerts from both 2004's Verizon Ladies First Tour, which Keys took part in, and her own 2005 The Diary Tour.

The phone number

The song's lyrics tell listeners that they can reach Keys by calling a particular number, 489–4608, which was her former telephone number minus the area code when she lived in New York City, according to Keys' publicist, Lois Najarian. Callers who used the correct code (347) would have received a voicemail from Keys herself. However, after listening to the song, fans tried calling the number with different area codes, and one of them, 912, turned out to be the number of a retired pastor from Statesboro, Georgia, named J.D. Turner. He claims to have received more than twenty calls a day from Keys' fans in the weeks after the song's release.[4] This led to a $95 phone bill resulting from charges associated with the *69 last-call return option, which he used to track down each caller. Turner has declined to change his number, having held it for fourteen years before the song's release.[5][6] As of 2015, the number in the 347 area code is no longer in service and Turner retained it in the 912 code until his death in 2019.[7][8]

Track listings and formats

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[22] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1556. May 21, 2004. p. 25. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Alicia Keys – If I Ain't Got You/Diary". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2007.
  3. ↑ Neal, Mark Anthony (December 10, 2003). "The production gives Keys ample space to work out her ideas". PopMatters. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  4. ↑ "USATODAY.com - Alicia Keys fans: Right number, wrong person".
  5. ↑ "Dear Diary". Snopes. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Keys' Fans Reach Out, Touch Wrong Man". E! Online. Yahoo! Music. August 12, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  7. ↑ "I Called All the Phone Numbers in These Song Lyrics and This is What Happened". MTV.
  8. ↑ "Obituary - The Rev. Julius Duane Turner - Statesboro Herald".
  9. ↑ Diary (US promotional CD single liner notes). Alicia Keys. J Records. 2004. 82876-62690-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Diary (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Alicia Keys. J Records. 2004. J12-62690-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Diary (Hani Mixes) (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Alicia Keys. J Records. 2004. J12-65023-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ "Diary (Dance Vault Remixes) - EP by Alicia Keys". Apple Music. 6 June 2006.
  13. ↑ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  14. ↑ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard.
  15. ↑ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  16. ↑ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard.
  17. ↑ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  18. ↑ "2004 Year End Charts – The Billboard Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 25, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  19. ↑ "2004 Year End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 25, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  20. ↑ "2005 Year End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 26, 2005. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Decade End Charts – R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  22. ↑ "American single certifications – Alicia Keys – Diary Tony". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
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