She’s plugging into the pop pantheon

DOESN’T Alicia Keys ever rest? Typically, in a world as strenuous as that of pop music, you worry about an artist trying to do too much too fast: Either she unravels from the pressure or the work suffers. But this New York singer-songwriter thrives on challenges. And it’s amazing how she’s changed the direction of R&B-pop; with just two albums.

Keys has been either on tour or in the studio virtually nonstop -- except when writing a bestselling book and holding meetings to plan her film career -- since Clive Davis, founder of J Records, introduced her during a showcase at the Roxy in the spring of 2001. She was just 20, but the artistry and poise she demonstrated suggested she could become a major figure in pop.

Four years later, she has not only produced two acclaimed albums but she also has updated the stylish pop-R&B; tradition of Motown with the kinds of smart touches that are likely to influence pop for years. Her music has a more contemporary feel than that of her worthy peers Angie Stone and Jill Scott, but a far more traditional and heartfelt tone than the usual Christina Aguilera/Mariah Carey fare.

She has been equally remarkable in concert, having moved boldly last year from the intimacy of clubs to the challenge of playing arenas on a bill with Beyonce and Missy Elliott. The danger was that Keys could have looked out of place trying to match the spectacle of those flashy, high-energy artists. However, she not only held her own but stole the show.

It turned out she was just warming up. Keys returned this year with her own large-scale spectacle: a tour built around the costumes and excitement of the old Cotton Club era in Harlem. Again she triumphed.

So it’ll be fascinating to see what the singer-songwriter-pianist comes up with for her “MTV Unplugged” program, airing Sept. 23. Keys will perform several songs from her two albums, including Prince’s “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” and her own “Fallin’,” as well as two new songs. She’ll be joined by Common and Mos Def on one number and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine on the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” An album of the show is due in stores Oct. 11.

Sounds like she’s still on a roll.

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“MTV Unplugged: Alicia Keys” will premiere at 10 p.m. Sept. 23 on MTV. The CD and DVD of the performance are scheduled to be in stores Oct. 11.