“You Don’t Know My Name” is a song by American singer-songwriter , issued by as the from her second studio album, (2003). Written by Keys, and , its production, handled by the former two, is based on a of the 1975 song “Let Me Prove My Love to You”, written by , Mel Kent and Ken Williams, and performed by .
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“You Don’t Know My Name” became Keys’ third top-ten hit in the United States, peaking at number three on the , as well as topping the for eight consecutive weeks. Critically acclaimed, the song won a and a . It was sampled on rapper ‘s 2008 song “Comfortable”, featuring and produced by West.
In a review for , Denise Boyd from noted that “You Don’t Know My Name” was “clearly the stand-out track. This is Alicia Keys at her best, sweet and soulful with a hint of the tickling piano keys – pure pleasure.” In a critical review of , Mark Anthony Neal from called the song the album’s “singular moment of brilliance.” He found that it was “another example of the real-deal hype surrounding Chi-town producer Kanye West […] that could make , , and the late all blush praise. Choosing the song as the lead single is both a testament to J’s faith in Keys as a pop artist and an admission that “You Don’t Know My Name” is as good as pop-soul gets.” described “You Don’t Know My Name” as “vastly appealing retro-soul as Keys is both bold and coy, calling a man who has caught her eye to plead her romantic case.”
Jim Cooper, writing for , remarked: “On “You Don’t Know My Name,” Keys’ rich voice floats over sweet -influenced strings and cascading harmonies. And even though she throws in a cheap spoken-word thing halfway through, it still ranks right alongside the previous record’s hair-raising moments like “” and “Rock Wit U”.” noted: “If this single is any indication of what’s to come [on , fans will be thrilled […] With creamy harmonizing on background vocals and cascading piano riffs, the Keys- and Kanye West- produced midtempo track is reminiscent of ’60s-era ballads […] While Keys’ dialogue during the bridge is a little forced, the girl-next-door lyric and sweet sentiment more than compensate. Mainstream and adult R&B radio stations will undoubtedly jump on this one, based on Keys’ solid track record and they won’t be sorry.”
placed the song at number 37 on its list of the 100 best songs of 2004. ranked “You Don’t Know My Name/Will You Ever Know It? (Reggae Remix)” at number twenty-three on their list of Top 50 Singles of 2004.
