(Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando FL) “No one, no one”...can do it like Alicia Keys does. A quick Google search describes Keys as a beloved “American singer and songwriter” with styles ranging from soul to pop, but this brief blurb fails to even touch on the incredible range of her vocals, her talent of multitasking by singing and playing piano, and her lyrics of which have uplifted the hearts of countless people who use her songs to not just get through their day, but are inspired by her messages to make today count.
Alicia Keys sways and dances as though she’s one with her music - she was never not moving, and gracefully so. Keys does not engage in any extensive or over-the-top dancing, but she does not need to keep one captivated - her visible connection to the tunes, apparent by her closed eyes and moved facial expressions, connects the audience not just to the music, but unites everybody in the room. This concert, along with other shows slowly starting to begin occurring once more, represent a significant change in what it means to live in a world where COVID-19 was still a prominent, and heavy, topic. Only mere months ago were venues restricted from allowing too big of a crowd in an enclosed space - here, at Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, both Dr. Phillips and Alicia Keys are taking the slow but steady steps in safely transitioning into a post-pandemic world. With an assigned seating system and mandate to wear mask coverings over one’s face while indoors, the artist and venue present served as an example of how to move forward in living life while still prioritizing individuals’ health and safety. After all, people need music now more than ever - it’s humanistic traits like music that unite a mass that’s so divided by these unprecedented times. Alicia Keys said it best herself during her show, “(I) wanted to connect after we’ve been disconnected after so long.”
Before Keys had said her intentions, she also gave beautiful, touching verbal prefaces to her songs covering a big range in topics, showcasing her impressive diversity in her music’s messages, such as ranging from how this is the life she wanted to live to talking about how she wanted love. The virtual background screen behind her subtly changed each song, including showcasing mountains and then changing colors while she sings a more relaxed piece. These visuals help to transport the audience on a journey through her setlist, cementing the messages of Keys’ powerful lyrics.
Off the screen, Keys takes advantage of the opportunity of not one, but two, different sides or versions of the baby grand piano on stage. Meaning, half of the one piano on stage had an original, acoustic sound to it, and the other half had an MPC style to it so that it sounded more techno. She chose to showcase this flip-of-the-coin kind of style to amp up excitement for her new album called “Keys”, which will have two sides to it. Further engaging the crowd, Alicia Keys had the audience vote for which style of the piano they liked better, playing “Skydive” on the original piano for an acoustic feel and “Come for Me (Unlocked)” on the MPC side for more of an upbeat, party feel. Our Orlando audience, being the lively community we are, voted for the “Come for Me (Unlocked)” MPC option. Keys says she gets a better understanding of the city she performs in based on the crowd’s reaction when she does her poll, having fun along with the crowd themselves alternating between her diverse ranges.
Even the stiffest of audience members still had their hands clapping and heads bobbing at one point or another or in most cases, the entire overall performance. Fans were thrilled by Alicia Keys playing a new song of hers called “One in a Billion”, one of her first few times performing this song live. After the thrill of novelty, Keys finished strong in circling back to her classic songs: “My Boo”, collaborated with Usher and the song that really put her name out there, and lastly, “Empire State of Mind”. Ending on one of her best-known songs, Alicia Keys inspires us all, “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothin’ you can’t do…”
- Brianna Guinigundo
Alicia Keys sways and dances as though she’s one with her music - she was never not moving, and gracefully so. Keys does not engage in any extensive or over-the-top dancing, but she does not need to keep one captivated - her visible connection to the tunes, apparent by her closed eyes and moved facial expressions, connects the audience not just to the music, but unites everybody in the room. This concert, along with other shows slowly starting to begin occurring once more, represent a significant change in what it means to live in a world where COVID-19 was still a prominent, and heavy, topic. Only mere months ago were venues restricted from allowing too big of a crowd in an enclosed space - here, at Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, both Dr. Phillips and Alicia Keys are taking the slow but steady steps in safely transitioning into a post-pandemic world. With an assigned seating system and mandate to wear mask coverings over one’s face while indoors, the artist and venue present served as an example of how to move forward in living life while still prioritizing individuals’ health and safety. After all, people need music now more than ever - it’s humanistic traits like music that unite a mass that’s so divided by these unprecedented times. Alicia Keys said it best herself during her show, “(I) wanted to connect after we’ve been disconnected after so long.”
Before Keys had said her intentions, she also gave beautiful, touching verbal prefaces to her songs covering a big range in topics, showcasing her impressive diversity in her music’s messages, such as ranging from how this is the life she wanted to live to talking about how she wanted love. The virtual background screen behind her subtly changed each song, including showcasing mountains and then changing colors while she sings a more relaxed piece. These visuals help to transport the audience on a journey through her setlist, cementing the messages of Keys’ powerful lyrics.
Off the screen, Keys takes advantage of the opportunity of not one, but two, different sides or versions of the baby grand piano on stage. Meaning, half of the one piano on stage had an original, acoustic sound to it, and the other half had an MPC style to it so that it sounded more techno. She chose to showcase this flip-of-the-coin kind of style to amp up excitement for her new album called “Keys”, which will have two sides to it. Further engaging the crowd, Alicia Keys had the audience vote for which style of the piano they liked better, playing “Skydive” on the original piano for an acoustic feel and “Come for Me (Unlocked)” on the MPC side for more of an upbeat, party feel. Our Orlando audience, being the lively community we are, voted for the “Come for Me (Unlocked)” MPC option. Keys says she gets a better understanding of the city she performs in based on the crowd’s reaction when she does her poll, having fun along with the crowd themselves alternating between her diverse ranges.
Even the stiffest of audience members still had their hands clapping and heads bobbing at one point or another or in most cases, the entire overall performance. Fans were thrilled by Alicia Keys playing a new song of hers called “One in a Billion”, one of her first few times performing this song live. After the thrill of novelty, Keys finished strong in circling back to her classic songs: “My Boo”, collaborated with Usher and the song that really put her name out there, and lastly, “Empire State of Mind”. Ending on one of her best-known songs, Alicia Keys inspires us all, “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothin’ you can’t do…”
- Brianna Guinigundo
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