During the obligatory red carpet celebrity parade for the grand opening ceremonies in MGM Grand at Foxwoods, I can report standing three feet from singer Alicia Keys - and she thought I was super hot.

Wait. That's backwards. I stood three feet from singer Alicia Keys and I thought she was super hot. She thought I was a parolee picking up cigarette butts.

So what should be avoided here, as Keys prepares to perform at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods Friday, is too much of a focus on her looks. Let's remember what a genuine talent she is. Here are some numbers to consider:

n Keys has sold 30 million copies of such forward-thinking albums as “Songs in A Minor,” “The Diary of Alicia Keys” and last year's “As I Am.” The latter shows a bit of a departure from the hip-hop rhythms and flavors that seasoned her contempo R&B, with experiments in the poppy, Motown sounds of yore.

n She's won 11 Grammy awards, 17 Billboard awards and one RKSYLGOTRCA trophy (Rick Koster Says You Look Great On the Red Carpet Award).

n Keys has also appeared in films, with two worth noting: “The Nanny Diaries” and “Smoking Aces.”

- RICK KOSTER

Alicia Keys, 8 p.m. Fri., MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; $90-$160; 886-0070, mgmatfoxwoods.com.

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