"Girl On Fire" Alicia Keys ft. Nicki Minaj

Don't call it a comeback—or a Hunger Games reference. Alicia Keys insisted as much when she debuted her new song, "Girl On Fire," at the Video Music Awards last night. Serving as the lead single from her upcoming fifth studio album of the same name, it's perfectly adequate power R&B, offering heightened drama, passionate vocals and soulful runs. Unfortunately, "Fire" lacks the catchy sizzle of previous Keys showstoppers like "If I Ain't Got You" and "No One"; it feels more like album filler than a potential smash that will reignite her career after a two-year hiatus. The blandly inspirational imagery, in particular, underwhelms without any apparent connection to Keys' own experiences. Delivering two forgettable guest verses, Nicki Minaj has never felt like such a gratuitous presence on a track (nope, not even on "Give Me All Your Luvin'"). B