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Alicia Keys Marks New Album Release With Free Times Square Concert
October 10, 2016 at 2:19 PM (PT)
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ALICIA KEYS performed a free concert for fans under the bright lights of NEW YORK CITY's TIMES SQUARE featuring such songs as "If I Ain't Got You," "No One," "Fallin'," "You Don't Know My Name," "In Common," and new songs from her upcoming album, "HERE," including "Holy War," "She Don't Really Care," and her new single "Blended Family" (What You Do For Love)" featuring A$AP ROCKY.
ALICIA brought out special guests throughout the night including JOHN MAYER for a mash-up of "If I Ain't Got You" and his "Gravity" with QUESTLOVE playing drums. Legendary rapper NAS took the stage for a duet of "One Love" and "She Don't Really Care" and Q-TIP duetted with KEYS on "You Don't Know My Name." For one of the last songs of the night, JAY Z surprised the crowd when he joined ALICIA for an epic performance of "Empire State of Mind."
For the encore, KEYS celebrated the music and activism of JOHN LENNON in honor of his 76th birthday. TIMES SQUARE was illuminated with social justice messages in the style of LENNON's iconic "War Is Over!" visual across the giant digital billboards. While ALICIA played piano illuminated by the glowing signs, she highlighted a variety of important global issues -- many of which are reflected on her new release. Some of the messages included, "Racism is Over!," "Climate Change Is Reversed!," "Transgender is Accepted Worldwide!", "U.S. Bans Assault Rifles," "Peace in the Middle East," "SYRIA Is Free And Rebuilt" and "Homophobia is Over!" while she performed "Holy War" from the new album. ALICIA then finished the night with a performance of LENNON's "Imagine" and the screens all read "War Is Over! If You Want It."
This performance will air as a concert special on BET on NOVEMBER 3rd, the night before the release of the album by RCA RECORDS on NOVEMBER 4th.