alicia keys
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Over the past few days it seems like Jay-Z has finally decided to come out of hibernation as the iconic rapper made a surprise performance at Tom Bradyâs Hall Of Fame ceremony just last week, and last night, once again, shocked an unsuspecting audience when he joined Alicia Keys at the 77th annual Tony Awards.
With their classic song âEmpire State of Mindâ having recently hit 1 billion streams, Alicia Keys decided it was only right to celebrate the milestone by bringing out Jay-Z while she and the cast to her Broadway play Hellâs Kitchen were doing their thing on stage. Stepping out in some baggy jeans, Timbs and a durag, Jay-Z channeled his 2009 self and took everyone on a trip down memory lane as Alicia Keys belted out the classic chorus after he was done spitting his verse.
So are baggy jeans officially back in style? We need confirmation from fashion stylists and aficionados out there so we can dust off the old-school Girbaud jeans we have in storage. Just sayinâ.
Now that theyâve reunited on stage, do Alicia Keys and Jay-Z have something cooking up in the studio? We donât know for certain, but Alicia Keys definitely teased something was in the works as she took to her official Instagram page to post a video of herself hanging out with the Hip-Hop Gawd. The caption read, â1 Dream. 1 Song. 1 Billion streams đđœđđœđđœ Thank you! We love you. Whatâs nextâŠ.đđ€«â
Whatever Alicia Keys and Jay-Z might be working on, yâall already know itâs going to be produced by Alicia Keysâ famous hubby, Swizz Beatz.
What did yâall think of Jay-Zâs surprise appearance at last nightâs Tony Awards? Are yâall looking forward to another Hova and Keys collaboration? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Michael Owens / Getty / Usher / Alicia Keys
The âUsher Bowlâ went down, and it was full of many memorable moments, new memes, and plenty of reactions. One moment in particular between Usher and Alicia Keys has the internet still talking.
Since his Vegas residency took off, the Usher experience now involves the iconic R&B superstar crooning and swooning guests who happen to be in his line of sight during his show.
He continued that trend during his highly anticipated Apple Music Halftime performance at Super Bowl LVIII. Just like when he sang to Keke Palmer, leading to the downfall of her relationship with her sonâs father, Usher got very close to Alicia Keys.
Keys was one of the many guests during his electrifying performance. Alicia Keys kicked her guest spot off, singing âIf I Ainât Got Youâ while playing a red piano that matched her form-fitting body suit.
Usher eventually helped her close out the song, and the two stars began singing their hit record, âMy Boo,â during the performance, Usher hugged Keys from behind, and she looked thrilled during the moment.
Swizz Beatz Was Over The Social Media CAP
As expected, the moment sparked plenty of chatter. Alicia Keyâs husband, Swizz Beatz, was very much aware of what was happening on social media and plugged him and his wifeâs art exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.
Taking to Instagram, the producer wrote in the caption of a gallery post of photos of his wife:
Yâall talking about the wrong damn thing !!! yâall donât see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium. Tonightâs performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing Giants ! Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic. We donât do negative vibes on this side we make history. Go see GIANTS at @brooklynmuseum itâs open until July blessings.
Regardless, people were more upset about Usher hugging Alicia Keys from behind than her own husband. Professional homophobe Boosie Badazz had something to say. On Instagram, he wrote â@USHER ENOUGH IS ENOUGH BROâŒïžU NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO SWISS. SHE MARRIED MY N-GGA I KNOW THAT WASNT PLANNED.â
Professional boxer Gervonta Davis said on X, formerly Twitter, âUsher would have been on his way to the hospital as I write this if I was Swizz,â HipHopDX reports.Â
Some folks, like Gillie, believe people are doing too much.
Regardless, it was a moment, and Usher understood the assignment, plus we got an excellent damn football game.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. This Druski moment will always be relevant
3. Howling
5. Yâall are dead wrong
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One of Hip-Hopâs power couples is sharing their art with the world. Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys will be showcasing some of their valued pieces from The Dean Collection at The Brooklyn Museum.
Hypebeast is reporting that the producer and singer will debut their inaugural exhibition titled Giants. The installation will feature some of their most prized works from Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson, Kehinde Wiley, Nina Chanel Abney and more. According to ARTnews the Giants show will be presented in groupings to align with each sectionâs theme. âGiant Conversationsâ will delve into the social issues the Black community while âOn the Shoulders of Giantsâ will be a tribute to the artists who âhave left an indelible mark on the worldâ.
The iconic institution expressed their appreciation to duo in a press release. âSwizz Beatz and Alicia Keys have been among the most vocal advocates for Black creatives to support Black artists through their collecting, advocacy, and partnerships. In the process, they have created one of the most important collections of contemporary art,â Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak said. Alicia Keys explained why the initiative is important. âThere are far too many artists of all kindsâmusicians, painters, sculptors, dancersâwho have unfortunately contributed so much to the culture and have died with nothing,â Keys previously told ARTnews. âAs artists [ourselves], we care about living artists and the just due that we receive.â
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keysâ Dean Collection opens at Brooklyn Museum starting February 10. You explore the exhibit further here.Â
Alicia Keys increases her mark for the most No. 1s on Billboardâs Adult R&B Airplay chart as âCome for Me (Unlocked),â featuring Khalid and Lucky Daye, ascends to the top of the list dated June 10. The song advances from No. 2 thanks to a 1% gain in plays that made it the most-played song on reporting U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending June 1, according to Luminate.
The new champ gives Keys her 14th Adult R&B Airplay No. 1, furthering her record for the most among all artists. As she distances herself yet again from the competition, hereâs a look at the artists with the most leaders since the list began in 1993:
14, Alicia Keys11, Toni Braxton9, Charlie Wilson8, Bruno Mars8, Kem8, Maxwell8, Tank7, Mary J. Blige7, H.E.R.7, R. Kelly
For Khalid, âCome for Meâ secures the R&B hitmakerâs fourth champ on Adult R&B Airplay, and second visit with Keys. He previously led with his own three-week No. 1 âLocationâ in 2017 and 12-week smash âTalkâ in 2019, before reaching the top in a featured role on Keysâ âSo Doneâ for one week in 2021.
Lucky Daye, meanwhile, lands his first Adult R&B Airplay chart-topper. His prior best was a No. 2 result though a featured turn on Earth, Wind & Fireâs âYou Want My Loveâ in 2021. As a lead artist, the Grammy winner has achieved a No. 8 high with âRoll Some Moâ in 2019.
Elsewhere, âCome for Meâ climbs 19-17 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs based on combined audience listenership from both adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, the single rises despite a 3% decline, to 6.3 million. On the Hot R&B Songs chart, which blends radio airplay metrics with streaming and sales figures, âCome for Meâ debuts at No. 25.
âCome for Meâ appears on the deluxe edition of Keysâ 2021 album Keys, dubbed Keys II, that dropped in August 2022. (All versions of the album are combined for tracking and charting purposes.) The singer-songwriter will soon embark on a tour in support of the set, Keys to the Summer, a 23-date trek that begins June 28 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and wraps Aug. 2 in Inglewood, Calif.
When Bridgerton first hit Netflix back in 2020, it captivated audiences not only with its stunning Regency-era visuals and romantic storylines, but also with its gorgeous orchestral covers of pop songs that seamlessly connected the characters to its modern viewers.
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Now, the showâs recently released prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, is following in the same musical footsteps by transforming songs from BeyoncĂ©, SZA, Whitney Houston and, most notably, Alicia Keys. The 15-time Grammy-winning superstarâs 2003 hit, âIf I Ainât Got You,â got an orchestral rearrangement from the Vitamin String Quartet for the seriesâ soundtrack, but Netflix teamed up with Keys for another incredibly special musical moment.
To celebrate Queen Charlotte and the power of women worldwide, Keys brought together more than 70 female musicians from all over the world â from South Africa, Barbados and Germany to Sweden and Egypt â to create a first-of-its-kind global orchestra made up entirely of women of color. Together, the Queen Charlotteâs Global Orchestra delivered a captivating rendition of âIf I Ainât Got Youâ to celebrate the songâs 20th anniversary.
Tyler Twins
âThe entire idea was quite ambitious,â Keys tells Billboard with a laugh, adding that Netflix was excited to take on the challenge and shift the perspective of what an orchestra looks like. âI feel like itâs going to open the minds of many people to realize that women of color belong everywhere and weâve always been everywhere. Itâs magical.â
The final result, shared exclusively with Billboard on Monday (May 8) is equally magical. The instrumentalists are donned in eloquent 1700s-inspired gowns as they deliver sweeping strings, ethereal percussion and grounding horns â all working together to uplift Keysâ honeyed vocals and piano melody. âI know theyâre gonna be very emotional when they see it because the women we who were there were extremely emotional,â Keys recalled. âOur conductor [Ofentse Pitse] said, âIt feels like when we have an orchestra of all women of color from all over the world, that weâre finally doing something right.â This is what our ancestors never experienced.â
Pitse, a Tshwane, South Africa, native who is the youngest and first Black African woman to conduct and own an orchestra, shares with Billboard that the experience felt âhistoricâ from the very first moment. âI think I knew the importance of it when I was on the airplane, but when I actually got there, it just really changed my perspective of the reason why we are all there. We should not just be the first and only ones to do something like this.â
Pulling together such an inspiring group of women is nothing out of the ordinary for Keys, who has always been a fierce advocate for gender equality, something that she says she learned from her mother. âMy mother is definitely a feminist for sure. She raised me, and that desire for equanimity and fairness was really instilled in me, and then I would see how it will come out in my songs,â she says. âI would see it on âA Womanâs Worth,â or âSuperwomanâ or âGirl on Fire,â and I know that the majority of those songs and feelings have come from needing a boost, needing that extra energy. Those songs, in a lot of ways, were what I wished and hoped to feel. Then, I was thinking of how beautiful this moment was with Queen Charlotte and how it really felt like whatâs possible came to life, and itâs possible to create special moment when you pay attention to whatâs needed.â
The âNo Oneâ singer is bringing that extra energy and even more special moments to her upcoming Keys to the Summer Tour, which is set to stretch across North America this summer. Keys is certainly no stranger to touring, but is entering this upcoming run with a sense of celebration, self-liberation and a whole lot of love. âWeâre all after the ability to be liberated, to just feel comfortable in our skin, to be allowed to be who we are. To demand that from ourselves and to practice that is so important,â she says of the upcoming trek, during which she promises to revisit some deep cuts from her extensive discography and âtune back into them.â
Watch the Queen Charlotteâs Global Orchestra rendition of âIf I Ainât Got Youâ exclusively via Billboard here, and catch Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story over on Netflix.
The apple doesnât fall far from the tree! Swizz Beatz joined The Jennifer Hudson Show on Tuesday (April 25), where he gushed over his 12-year-old son Egypt, whom he shares with wife Alicia Keys.
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At one point in the conversation, Jennifer Hudson mentioned that thanks to his musical talents, Egypt ended up producing a Kendrick Lamar song when he was just five years old. âIâm jealous as hell of that one,â Swizz, a Grammy-winning producer himself, joked. âI thought me and Kendrick was cool.â
The star went on to explain that Egypt and Lamarâs bond began at a past Super Bowl game. âHe and Kendrick were talking for, like, 40 minutes,â Swizz recalled. âI went over and said to Kendrick, âIs he bothering you? Should I move him? Are you enjoying yourself?â He said, âNo, Swizz, I had writerâs block and what Egypt is telling me is helping me deal with something. I was like, âMan, heâs five years old.â To this day, I still donât know what he was helping him deal with. I let it happen.â
As a result, Egypt ended up getting a producer credit on âuntitled 07,â off Lamarâs 2016 Untitled Unmastered project.
However, donât expect Egypt to follow in his famous parentsâ footsteps. The pre-teen joined his father later on in the interview, noting that he has other plans in mind for his future. âI love music but I donât really want to be a musician. I want to be a basketball player,â he told Hudson.
Watch the full interview below.
Apple Music announced Friday (Dec. 16) that Alicia Keys is bringing her first-ever Holiday Masquerade Ball to the streaming service later this month.
A trailer for the virtual event â which will stream Wednesday (Dec. 21) â shows the superstar performing a soulful cover of âPlease Come Home for Christmasâ on the Apple Music Live stage. âBells will be ringing sad sad news/ Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues/ My baby is gone and I have no friends/ To wish me greetings once again/ Choirs be singing âSilent Nightâ/ Christmas carols by the candlelight,â she sings while pairing a bejeweled mask quite literally dripping in crystals with a sleek, tuxedo-inspired pantsuit.
With an assist from TikTok, the Masquerade Ball will feature music from Keysâ new holiday album, Santa Baby, and include appearances by JVKE and Jon Batiste.
âThis is THEE Holiday party of the season,â Keys said in a statement. âIâm grateful to Apple Music and TikTok for helping me create a magic moment to showcase my first holiday album, in such a special way, for everyone around the world.â
Upon its November release exclusively on Apple Music and the iTunes Store, Santa Baby debuted in the top 20 on Billboardâs Top Holiday Albums chart and has so far spent five weeks and counting on the tally. The studio set â a follow-up to 2021âs KEYS â was preceded by original holiday offering and lead single âDecember Back 2 June.â
Keys also stopped by Billboardâs Pop Shop Podcast earlier this month to chat about the album, telling hosts Katie Atkinson and Keith Caufield, âIt has a soulfulness, a rawness, it has that New York energy in it too, but it just feels like something you could play from top to bottom. And I recorded it like that; we recorded it very consistently over about seven days, and it all really feels cohesive and great. And so I love it. I think now is the time.â
Watch the trailer for Keysâ Holiday Masquerade Ball here.
Alicia Keysâ first seasonal effort, Santa Baby, jingles onto Billboardâs Top Holiday Albums chart (dated Nov. 19) as the listâs highest debut of the week, arriving at No. 19. The 11-track effort is Keysâ first independently released album after a career in the major-label system, first with J Records and then RCA. The download and streaming editions of the album are exclusive to the iTunes Store and Apple Music, respectively, while the physical album is widely available to all retailers.
The set bows with 3,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 10, according to Luminate, with traditional album sales powering 74% of that sum.
Meanwhile, Keysâ cover of âPlease Come Home for Christmas,â from the Santa Baby project, enters at No. 27 on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart â her seventh visit to the list.
A second debut joins Santa Baby on Top Holiday Albums as Switchfootâs first Christmas release, This Is Our Christmas Album, enters at No. 400 (1,000 units). Coincidentally, both include covers of a pair of classics: âChristmas Time Is Hereâ and âThe Christmas Song.â
Elsewhere on Top Holiday Albums, Michael BublĂ©âs Christmas crowns the chart for a 37th nonconsecutive week (rising 2-1 with 13,000 units; up 107%), while the various artists compilation A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector jumps 10-2 (a new peak) as holiday streaming programming kicked into gear post-Halloween in the chartâs tracking week of Nov. 4-10.
The Top Holiday Albums chart ranks the 50 most popular seasonal albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each units equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. The seasonal Top Holiday Albums returned for another festive season with the Oct. 22-dated list and will continue as part of Billboardâs weekly chart menu until it dashes away in January 2023.
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