"Time Machine" is a song by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It was written by Keys,

Sebastian Kole Coleridge Gardner Tillman (born January 17, 1989), who goes by the stage name Sebastian Kole, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Birmingham, Alabama. He is currently signed to EP Entertainment and Motown Records. Prior ...

and

Rob Knox Robert Arthur Knox (21 August 1989 – 24 May 2008) was an English actor who portrayed the character of Marcus Belby in the film ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', and had signed to appear in the film ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hal ...

and produced by Keys and Rob Knox, with co-production from

Emile Haynie Emile Haynie (born July 13, 1980), often credited simply as Emile, is an American music producer from Buffalo, New York. His range of production includes alternative rock, hip hop, indie and pop music. Haynie has worked with several prominent a ...

. The song was released on November 20, 2019, through

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

as the second single from Keys' seventh studio album ''

Alicia Alicia may refer to: People * Alicia (given name), list of people with this name * Alisha (singer) (born 1968), US pop singer * Melinda Padovano (born 1987), a professional wrestler, known by her ring name, Alicia Places * Alicia, Bohol, Phi ...

'' (2020). As a song with retro-funk sound, the song is a departure from Keys' previous singles. The song received a positive critical reception, with many critics complimenting the new musical direction. A music video directed by Art Johnson and Cole Cook was released on the same day and features a cameo from American rapper

Tierra Whack Tierra Helena Whack (born August 11, 1995) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. She originally performed as "Dizzle Dizz" as a teenager, but later on reverted to her birth name in 2017. Her debut studio album, '' Whack World'', was relea ...

. Remixes by

Cedric Gervais Cédric DePasquale (, born 7 June 1979), better known by his stage name Cedric Gervais (), is a French DJ, record producer and actor residing in Miami Beach, Florida. In 2013, he produced a remix of Lana Del Rey's " Summertime Sadness", for whic ...

, MK and

KC Lights KC Lights (real name Kerr Slaven) is a Scottish DJ, record producer and songwriter. History Slaven grew up on the Isle of Bute and attended secondary school in Rothesay. According to Slaven, he initially listened to a mixture of jazz Jazz ...

were released in February 2020. In the United States, the song peaked on the ''

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at number 25 in March 2020.

Background

In September 2019, Keys released the first single " Show Me Love" featuring

Miguel --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places * Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands * São Miguel (disa ...

, from her then untitled seventh studio album. In November, it was announced that Keys would host the

62nd Annual Grammy Awards The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...

, having hosted it also the previous year. Keys released "Time Machine" after announcing 2020 Grammy nominees on November 20, 2019, with

Gayle King Gayle King (born December 28, 1954) is an American television personality, author and broadcast journalist for CBS News, co-hosting its flagship morning program, '' CBS Mornings'', and before that its predecessor ''CBS This Morning''. She is ...

and

Bebe Rexha Bleta Rexha (; born August 30, 1989), known professionally as Bebe Rexha ( ), is an American pop singer and songwriter. After signing with Warner Records in 2013, Rexha received songwriting credits on Eminem's single " The Monster" (which late ...

CBS This Morning ''CBS This Morning'' (''CTM'') is an American morning television program that aired on CBS from November 30, 1987, to October 29, 1999, and again from January 9, 2012, to September 6, 2021. The program was aired from Monday through Saturday ...

. On the song's release day, Keys tweeted: "You have your roller skates ready? I’ve been dying for you to hear this one!!". In an interview with ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'', Keys described the song as "a zone — it's such a vibration and frequency that you can't help but just feel good”.

Composition and lyrics

"Time Machine" is an R&B song and is composed in key of Eb minor with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 106 beats per minute. As described by Althea Legaspi from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'', the lyrics talk about "letting go of hang-ups and finding freedom". On the chorus, Keys "croons": “No we can't rewind/Life ain't no time machine. But once you free your mind/There is beauty in everything”. Nick Smith from ''

musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

'' described the song as having a "backdrop of retro-funk and sitars" and according to him, the song "advocates mindfulness and forward thinking, rather than overanalysing and harking back to the past". Adi Mehta from ''Entertainment Voice'' described the song as having a "sculpted dark noise framed in an instantaneous, minimal dance beat". Andy Kellman from

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

wrote that the song is "built on a sliding groove" and likened the song to "

Cranes in the Sky "Cranes in the Sky" is a song by American singer and songwriter Solange. Released on October 5, 2016 by Saint Records and Columbia Records, it is the first single from Solange's third album, ''A Seat at the Table''. The song was written by Solange ...

" by

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. Meg Bishop from ''

Minnesota Daily The ''Minnesota Daily'' is the campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota, published Monday and Thursday while school is in session, and published weekly on Wednesdays during summer sessions. Published since 1900, the paper is currently the la ...

'' wrote that the song is "carpeted with funk pop" and according to her reminiscent of "Mirror" by Lil Wayne and "Man in the Mirror" by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Critical reception

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'' described the song as a "retro-funk bop". ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North a ...

'' described the song with the words "smooth, old-school" and "throwback". According to New Music Weekly, the song "celebrates the freedom that comes with letting go". Michael Saponara from ''

'' noted that the production of the song is "a stark change compared to the heavy key-laden records we've become accustomed to from Keys recently". Writing for ''

Rated R&B ''Rated R&B'' is an independent online magazine based in the United States, which is dedicated and devoted to news, topics and almost all things related to rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, ...

'', Anders Hare opined that the "haunting" song "steadily grows in intensity as Keys delivers some of the best vocals to date". ''

''s Nick Smith in his review of the ''

'' album found Keys' vocals on the song "divine". According to Shakeena Johnson from '' Clash'', the song "takes you back to the sound of the 80s". Andy Kellman from

named it one of the highlights on the album and wrote that it is Keys' "funkiest and spaciest songs, unlike anything else she has recorded". Adi Mehta from ''Entertainment Voice'' praised the vocals, writing that "Keys sings with an effortless cool and seasoned showmanship, with her increasingly impassioned, wispy utterances giving way to angelic falsetto cascades". ''

The Arts Desk ''The Arts Desk'' (theartsdesk.com) is a British arts journalism website containing reviews, interviews, news, and other content related to music, theatre, television, films, and other art forms written by journalists from a variety of traditio ...

''s Joe Muggs wrote that the song "is a heavy disco-funk stomp, where Keys's multi-octave range is put to fantastic use harmonising with herself" and added that "dirty synth basslines and sitars are treated to all sorts of trippy effects". A. D. Amorosi from ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' gave a positive review of the song, writing that the "swipe-and-swoosh soul" of the song "finds Keys’ reverb-dripping voice pushed to the back, then given multilayered harmonies, before reaching a synth-bass-filled chorus".

Music video

The music video was released on November 20, 2019. It was directed by Art Johnson and Keys’ brother Cole Cook and filmed at

World on Wheels World on Wheels was a roller rink in Los Angeles, California, United States. The rink opened in 1981, then closed in 2013. After reopening in 2017, it closed again in 2020. The rink is featured in the HBO documentary film ''United Skates ''Unit ...

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Live performances

Keys performed "Time Machine" along with "

Underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, th ...

" (2020), "

Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released as the second single (third in the UK) from her fourth studio album, ''The Element of Freedom'' (2009). The ballad has been hailed by many musi ...

" (2009),

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single " Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with who ...

song "

Everything I Wanted "Everything I Wanted" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish, and co-written by Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, who also produced it. Darkroom and Interscope Records released the trac ...

" (2019) and " Fallin'" (2001) at

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on February 6, 2020. Keys performed the song at a concert to promote the ''

'' album held at

Bush Hall Bush Hall is located at 310 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. Originally a dance hall, it is now an independent music venue with a capacity of 400. Bush Hall was built in 1904. It was used as a soup kitchen during World War ...

in London on February 7, 2020. Keys performed the song during the ''Alicia Keys Rocks New Year's Eve'' concert on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...

on December 31, 2020. The song is performed as part of

Alicia + Keys World Tour Alicia may refer to: People * Alicia (given name), list of people with this name * Alisha (singer) (born 1968), US pop singer * Melinda Padovano (born 1987), a professional wrestler, known by her ring name, Alicia Places * Alicia, Bohol, Phi ...

Track listings

*Digital download #"Time Machine" – 4:30 *Digital download (Remixes) #"Time Machine" (Cedrick Gervais Remix) – 3:01 #"Time Machine" (MK Remix) – 3:38 #"Time Machine" (KC Lights 6am Remix) – 4:08

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2019 songs 2019 singles Alicia Keys songs Funk songs Songs written by Alicia Keys Songs written by Sebastian Kole Songs written by Rob Knox (producer) Song recordings produced by Emile Haynie