Keys had wanted to leave Columbia since they began "completely disrespecting [her] musical creativity". Leaving Columbia was "a hell of a fight," she recalled. "Out of spite, they were threatening to keep everything I'd created even though they hated it. I thought I'd have to start over again just to get out, but I didn't care." Keys said in 2001: "It's been one trial, one test of confidence and faith after the next." To Keys, "success doesn't just mean that I'm the singer, and you give me my 14 points, and that's all. That's not how it's going to go down." Edge, who was by that time head of A&R at Arista Records, said, "I didn't see that there was much hands-on development at Columbia, and she was smart enough to figure that out and to ask to be released from her contract, which was a bold move for a new artist." Edge introduced Keys to Arista's then-president, Clive Davis, in 1998.
Keys had wanted to leave Columbia since they began "completely disrespecting [her] musical creativity" Leaving Columbia was "a hell of a fight" she recalled "Out of spite they were threatening to keep everything I'd created even though they hated it I thought I'd have to start over again just to get out but I didn't care" Keys said in 2001 "It's been one trial one test of confidence and faith after the next" To Keys "success doesn't just mean that I'm the singer and you give me my 14 points and that's all That's not how it's going to go down" Edge who was by that time head of A&R at Arista Records said "I didn't see that there was much hands-on development at Columbia and she was smart enough to figure that out and to ask to be released from her contract which was a bold move for a new artist" Edge introduced Keys to Arista's then-president Clive Davis in 1998