Alicia Keys and JAY-Z bring “Empire State of Mind” to the 2024 Tony Awards
At the 2024 Tony Awards, JAY-Z and Alicia Keys delivered a dynamic performance of their hit single, "Empire State of Mind," to highlight Keys' musical, “Hell's Kitchen.” As seen in a clip shared on Twitter, Keys began the display on a piano before singing alongside Maleah Joi Moon, a Tony Award winner and star of the play. She then handed the performance over to JAY-Z, who appeared on a video screen in a nearby lobby. Although he did not join the cast on stage, Hov’s presence was well-received by all who were in attendance at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater.
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As REVOLT previously reported, Keys was over the moon when “Hell’s Kitchen,” a Broadway production loosely based on her life and career, received 13 Tony nods, which tied it with “Stereophonic” for the most this year. "I don’t know what’s happening to me," she said. "I’m a songwriter and I can’t put my words together, but I feel unbelievable. I’m so excited for everybody to be recognized."
Keys added, “I’ve always felt really good about it, and I know that we’ve put the work and the time into it, and so I do feel a sense of strength and joy around it, but you just never know how people receive things. You never know how it all goes. And ultimately, you can’t create with that in mind — you have to create with your mission in mind.”
Prior to the celebratory event, the “Girl on Fire” talent honored the success of “Empire State of Mind” and teased what many speculated to be a possible new collaboration with JAY-Z. “One dream. One song. One billion streams. Thank you! We love you. What’s next?” she asked.
She also decided to participate in lighthearted humor regarding Lil Mama’s infamous on-stage appearance during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. A repost on Keys’ Instagram Stories showed an image of three microphones. One of the mics was crudely photoshopped in with Lil Mama’s initials.
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