This Girl on Fire Loves Her Black: See Alicia Keys’ Best Red Carpet Dresses [Pics]

When we first met Alicia Keys, she was an itty bitty thing with her signature braids. Her sense of style has evolved and developed since she burst onto the scene with 'Fallin'.'

Over the past few years, the diva has shown a predilection for the color black on red carpets and at fancy events, but instead of relying on LBDs, there's always a twist. Her gowns and frocks have extra stylistic panache, whether it's a collar, the shape, the fabric, some peek-a-boo skin or other assorted accoutrements.

We've rounded up Alicia Keys' best (and more recent) black dresses... and one that wasn't black but still totally wowed us.

Givenchy, 2011

At the 2011 Keep a Child Alive Ball for her charity of the same name, Keys stunned in a strapless Givenchy gown with a belt and ostrich feather train. It's easily one of her best red carpet looks ever. She wisely slicked her hair back and let her visage and décolletage take center stage.

Azzedine Alaia, 2012

Keys was totally covered up in this clingy, long-sleeved, floor-sweeping Azzedine Alaia, which she wore to the Billboard Music Awards. Look closely and see the delicate print in the fabric.

The bun piled atop her head allowed her face to be the focus, since it was pretty much the only skin that showed save for her hands, which were adorned with sparkly gold chain rings. With this black dress, Keys displayed that you can be sexy without letting it all hang out.

Alexandre Vauthier, 2012

At the 2012 Grammys, Keys' Alexandre Vauthier LBD was given an upgrade thanks to a gold collar that looked bulletproof. It was paired with statement shoulders. That's high fashion right there, and the rest of the curve-hugging dress was simple so as not to compete with what was going on at the neck and above.

CD Greene, 2013

A BET event saw Keys don a simple black gown by CD Greene in a column silhouette, but the collared neck and interesting cut of the bodice showed some skin and made it sexy in a subtle way.

Dsquared2, 2011

Keys rocked a two-piece to excellent effect at a Lifetime movie premiere. She paired a leather sleeve blazer from Dsquared2, a young and hip line, with a pencil skirt and nude heels with a black print. It was a fab look with some edge.

Michael Kors, 2013

At the NRJ Awards in France, Keys filled out a Michael Kors gown, which featured just the right amount of strategically placed cut-outs. Her bottom was simple and elegant, since the top was so geometric and sexy.

Azzedine Alaia, 2013

Keys returned to her favorite color and a preferred designer in this strappy Alaia, worn to the Grammys in 2013. The croc skin-style top showed enough skin to make us think the singer / pianist purposefully ignored the ceremony's famed dress code. Check out the dip at her knees -- a true mermaid shape.

Victoria Beckham, 2013

Well, hello there, Alicia Keys' cleavage. The singer donned a figure-hugging Victoria Beckham dress in a pencil shape with a sheer top, both of which she favors, at the 40 Principales in Spain. Those spiky stilettos are Giuseppe Zanotti. Girl (on fire) looked damn good.

Alexandre Vauthier, 2013

Okay, so this one's not black, but it's amazing! The silver, futuristic Alexandre Vauthier dress showed off her creamy mocha skin, thanks to its one-shoulder construction and it's up-to-there slit.

Calling All Alicia Keys Fans!

Alicia Keys is currently on her Set the World on Fire tour and wants to get to know her fans in every city. She is asking fans to send in photos of themselves in their cities, and with those photos, she’ll create a new music video to be played at every city stop on her tour. To submit your photos to the ‘Your City Your Video’ project, go here. The next deadline for photo submissions for Keys’ tour dates in Cologne, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg is Monday, May 27. The submission period for dates prior to that has closed.