Alicia Keys Adapting Girl on Fire Into Graphic Novel About Psychic Teen

Grammy-award winning icon Alicia Keys is getting ready to release her first graphic novel Girl on Fire, based on her best-selling hit single of the same name. Keys is a legendary singer-songwriter well known for her gorgeous R&B music, her well produced music videos, and her time as a judge on The Voice. The graphic novel, which debuts in March 2022, follows 14-year old Lolo Wright, a young woman of color, as she discovers hidden telekinetic powers during a terrifying encounter with police brutality.

Alicia Keys has been active since 1996 and she quickly climbed her way to becoming one of the world’s most famous, and talented, musical performers of all time. Keys now boasts an incredible collection of 15 Grammy Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and 17 NAACP Image Awards. The instantly iconic single “Girl on Fire” was first released in 2012 and quickly became a hit. This single is officially certified as 5x platinum and helped to further cement Keys as the “Top R&B Performer of the 2000s.” Besides the upcoming graphic novel, Keys has also published a book of poetry titled Tears for Water: Poetry & Lyrics, and the autobiography More Myself: A Journey.

Girl on Fire—co-written by Alicia Keys and Andrew Weiner with gorgeous art by Brittney Williams (Goldie Vance, Adventure Time, Patsy Walker, a.K.a. Hellcat!)—is being published by HarperCollins and focuses on the inner strength and resilience of young people, particularly those who are BIPOC, who are growing up in this day and age. Part of the official synopsis for the graphic novel reveals that:

“Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad’s business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother… she left long ago. But then Lolo’s world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had…”

The young adult fiction graphic novel is Keys’ first foray into the world of comics, but it seems like the inspiration she took from her beloved song is translating well onto page, with Lolo’s story sounding both engaging and terrifyingly relevant to youth of color.

Alicia Keys is not just slapping her name on the cover of Girl on Fire, she has clearly put in the work to transform her impactful voice and lyrics into a meaningful and fun comic, and she really can’t wait for her fans and young people to get their hands on it:

“When I wrote ‘Girl on Fire,’ I knew I was writing it for that girl in the way back row who needed someone to tell her there’s nothing you can’t do, that nothing is impossible,” Keys said in a statement. “When Andrew and I came up with the idea of translating the song into a young adult graphic novel, I knew that I wanted it to be about a girl coming to realize the strength she’s always had. There’s a little Lolo in all of us — we all have the power inside to do what we never even thought we could — and I’m so proud and crazy excited to be able to share her story with you. You’re going to fall in love with Lolo.”

It is obvious that this is a passion project for the talented, and busy, singer-songwriter which means it will most likely read as a labor of love from the artist, and will be something that everyone can enjoy regardless of age.

Alicia Keys has been making an impact on both the music world and pop culture for literal decades, and the comic world is definitely ready for the innovative artist to try out the graphic novel medium. The story of Lolo seems like it will resonate with so many people, young and old, and it will also surely be a telekinetic blast from start to finish. If you’re a fan of Alicia Keys, young adult fiction, or teenage psychics, make sure to pick up Girl on Fire when it debuts on March 1st 2022.

Source: Billboard

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