Seeing Alicia Keys live in concert is something that everybody needs to do at least once in their lives. Ever since the hip-hop inspired vocalist burst onto the scene in 2001 with her multi-platinum selling debut album, Songs In A Minor, which helped see her clear up at the Grammys the following year winning a total of five, she became a musical force to be reckoned with.

Last night Alicia Keys took to the stage at London’s Roundhouse as part of the Apple Music Festival and she delivered what could only be described as a show of epic proportions. Running through a few newer records ahead of the release of her yet to be titled new album, as well as of course her much loved classics, it was a night of sing-alongs and intimate conversations glazed over with a hip-hop tint.

In attendance was the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and his family, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, model Winnie Harlow and many more high-profile celebrities, all of whom were as excited as the rest of those in attendance to see Alicia Keys do her thing.

The night was kickstarted by Young Guru on the ones and twos. One of hip-hop’s most celebrated engineers and producers, whose work on the majority of Jay Z’s back catalogue is nothing short of genius, brought the city of New York to Camden by blazing through a setlist of New York hip-hop that included the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan, Onyx, A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and more.

With the crowd hyped and ready to go, Alicia Keys stepped on stage and she and her band continued the New York theme by bringing the Big Apple to Camden with dirty beats and a lifted spirit. Singing ’28 Thousand Days’ and then explaining to the audience why she wrote the record - 28,000 days is the equivalent to 75 days, which is the average human life span - it was after this that things really got going.

Inciting a basement party vibe within the four walls of The Roundhouse with the introductory chords to ‘You Don’t Know My Name’ and then fully launching herself into the song, the night seemed electric from this point onwards. With a surprise guest appearance from Sampha, who helped Alicia with one of her own records, the frequent SBTKT collaborator was also given the spotlight to showcase one of his own new records.




Performing the hits ‘Fallin’ and ‘Girl on Fire’, which of course garnered a huge reaction, it was actually some of her newer material that spawned the biggest reaction, namely her recent single, ‘In Common’. But that wasn’t the only one. Playing what can only be described as one of her better records to date, an as yet titled song belted through the speakers with a knocking drum kick and vocals that heard Alicia even mention Brixton in the lyrics - which received mega applause from the packed house.

Closing with the classic ‘If I Ain’t Got You’, after commending Steve Jobs on revolutionising our lives and performing a touching version of ‘Hallelujah’ for the refugees of the world struggling to find a home away from war, it’s fair to say if you weren’t in attendance then you well and truly missed out on one hell of a performance.