The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMusicLive music

Alicia Keys at the O2 Arena

Alicia Keys at the O2 Arena | Live review
15 June 2022
Jonathan Marshall
Avatar
Jonathan Marshall
15 June 2022

Music review

Jonathan Marshall

Alicia Keys at the O2 Arena

★★★★★

Highlights

No One, You Don’t Know My Name, Fallin’, Diary, If I Ain’t Got You, Girl on Fire

Links

Twitter Facebook Instagram Soundcloud Website

Certain concerts remain with us forever. It could be the general vibe of the audience, the performance of the artist and band, the venue or the production – here it’s all of the above, and more. Multiple Grammy-winner Alicia Keys finally makes it to London to perform a one-night-only gig at the O2 Arena, delayed since 2021 due to the pandemic. The songstress is greeted by the eager and excited 20,000 audience members with an indescribable amount of affection. The crowd is mixed: raw and real talent does not discriminate. 

Regaled with a blend of the old with the new, firm fans are not disappointed and those only aware of the modern classics of the canon are more than pleased. You Don’t Know My Name, Diary, If I Ain’t Got You, Girl on Fire and No One are all featured alongside songs from more recent offering Keys, the artist’s eighth album. 

In a world of auto-tune and homogenous sounds, Keys exudes both originality and a faithful nod to the greats. Prince was a big fan (his video montage of her when he performed at the same venue back in 2007 an obvious accolade). She takes influence from him, draws on Stevie Wonder and even has hints of Michael Jackson; outside of RnB, her taste and performances echo rockier sounds. But this woman is all her own. True artists are very rare these days, but Alicia Keys will go down in history, remembered just as her predecessors are. She’s a legend we are fortunate to still have with us – and her band are pretty impressive too!

It’s remarkable that Keys was once criticised for sitting behind a piano and not offering a “true” performance. The case here is anything but. Commanding the stage, performing a dance routine and even a DJ set before walking through the audience and back to the main stage, the artist offers an entirely entertaining experience, thrilling the crowd and earning multiple rounds of applause. The singer is evidently pleased and humbled by the response, acknowledging London as being energetic and positive. This is a concert for all and a reminder that true music and artistry still, thankfully, exists. Fallin brings one of her final notes, and we are all clearly still falling for her after all these years. 

★★★★★

Jonathan Marshall
Photos: Christie Goodwin

For further information and future events visit Alicia Keys’s website here.

Watch the video for the single City of Gods (Part II) here:

Related Itemsamerican singer songwriterfeaturedlive concertlive giglive musicnew york singer songwriterPopreviewrnbsoul

More in Live music

South Facing Festival: Jungle bring their signature neo-funk to Saturday night

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

Patti Smith at the London Palladium

★★★★★
Jennifer Sanin
Read More

The Libertines at Wembley Arena

★★★★★
Sophia Moss
Read More

Kaleidoscope Festival cements its status as a family favourite at Alexandra Palace

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

Yola at Koko

★★★★★
Natallia Pearmain
Read More

John Legend at Somerset House

★★★★★
Jonathan Marshall
Read More

Primal Scream at Alexandra Palace Park

★★★★★
Sophia Moss
Read More

Black Midi at Somerset House

★★★★★
Jasper Watkins
Read More

BST Hyde Park: Johnny Marr, Stereophonics and headliners Pearl Jam bring star quality to Saturday night

★★★★★
Selina Begum
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Music review

Jonathan Marshall

Alicia Keys at the O2 Arena

★★★★★

Highlights

No One, You Don’t Know My Name, Fallin’, Diary, If I Ain’t Got You, Girl on Fire

Links

Twitter Facebook Instagram Soundcloud Website

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Camden Fringe 2022: Rome 3000 (Julius Caesar) at Canal Cafe Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Maisie
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Nope
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eiffel
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “Theatre is totally unique… there’s simply nothing else quite like it”: An interview with Sir Howard Panter as the new cast of Jersey Boys opens at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • All of Us at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Nope
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • South Facing Festival: Jungle bring their signature neo-funk to Saturday night
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • “Everything that’s happened to me has brought me here”: David Leitch on Bullet Train and working with Brad Pitt
    Cinema & Tv
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

“Gay characters in a movie back when I was growing up were either the villain or a joke”: Todd Stephens on Swan Song
Adam Handling’s Eve Bar launches new cocktail menu