00:00It's not every day that you get to talk to a legend, but that's exactly what we're about to do right now.
00:05Tonight at Little Caesars Arena, she's got the keys to the summer.
00:09Alicia Keys, we're so excited about the show tonight.
00:12Talk to us about this 3D experience that everybody's going to get at Little Caesars Arena tonight.
00:16First of all, I'm so excited to be there tonight.
00:19It's going to be crazy.
00:21The Keys to the Summer Tour is definitely the best tour I ever did.
00:25It's a 360 show, so what happens is the stage is all the way on the floor, and every seat is around the stage throughout the entire arena.
00:35It's so good.
00:37Every seat is a front row seat.
00:38I get to touch the people in a way that I don't usually get to do because the stage is just on one side of the building and everybody else on the other side.
00:46But now on this one, we're all in one place all together, and it feels amazing.
00:51So I'm loving this show.
00:53So what made you come up with that concept of being in the middle of the audience as opposed to being on the stage a little bit further away?
01:01Yeah, I just wanted it to be different.
01:03I wanted it to be something in a way that you never saw me perform before.
01:06I think sometimes you kind of think you might know what you're going to get, but in this show, you really don't know what you're going to get.
01:12You don't know where it's coming from, how it's coming.
01:15The visuals are really fresh, really beautiful.
01:18The sonic is amazing.
01:20Like, there's just something really, really special and unique about this show.
01:23So I wanted to do it different.
01:25I wanted to do it totally different.
01:27Any show you've ever seen I've done, it doesn't look anything like this.
01:30So I love it.
01:31I'm excited about it, too.
01:32It makes it brand new, fresh for me as well.
01:34Amazing.
01:35Well, you know it's Detroit, so it's home of Motown.
01:38And I know as an R&B singer yourself, you've got to have a ton of influences of artists that are here.
01:43What Motown artist do you think maybe influenced you?
01:47First of all, that's a fact.
01:49I mean, there's so many incredible artists.
01:53I would definitely say Marvin Gaye was a big, big influence on me, especially just being able to tap into so many different sides and really create bodies of work that you want to listen to the beginning to the end.
02:07And What's Going On album was the first cassette tape that me and my homegirl had.
02:13And it was a white cassette tape.
02:15I'll never forget it.
02:16And we ran it and ran it and ran it.
02:18And it was the first time that we ever heard kind of an album that was so connected like that.
02:23It was like a concept album.
02:24The first time we experienced that, you know, obviously it was years later.
02:28But being able to discover these artists as a kid is so incredible.
02:32I would also say Smokey Robinson is a big one as a songwriter and a lyricist.
02:37You know, that's a big inspiration, being able to work with so many people.
02:42Of course, Michael Jackson, Jackson 5.
02:44I mean, who didn't feel their energy?
02:47And in fact, my husband just seen Diana Ross on tour like a month ago.
02:53And he was like, I cannot believe that.
02:56I've never seen her before.
02:57To be able to see her perform, you know, now is like crazy.
03:02So it's so much, so many.
03:04Speaking of your husband, a couple days ago on Instagram, Swizz posted a video of your 12-year-old son, Egypt, playing the piano.
03:12And this kid looks like he's a little prodigy.
03:15Have you taught him?
03:16Did he teach himself?
03:17Do you send him to go and get lessons?
03:18Or does he just pick it up from, you know, being a part of a musical family?
03:22Yeah, you know, a bit of everything.
03:23You know, there's no doubt about it.
03:25In order to be great, you have to practice.
03:27You got to work on it.
03:28It's not just going to, like, descend on you from nowhere.
03:31You know what I mean?
03:31And so even being part of a musical family.
03:34But he definitely has always been able to, you know, just witness and be a part of and see how music is created.
03:41He always has done it really naturally.
03:43He started playing piano when he was about four years old, which is super early.
03:48And he was like, he loved it.
03:50So he's done a mixture between kind of me vibing with him and lessons and just being able to, you know, practice himself and keep up with it.
03:58It's been good.
03:59And I love seeing him play like his instincts are fresh because he has a little bit of snitch and a little bit of me.
04:05And you kind of hear it all come out together.
04:07It's fun.
04:08So right now, Beyonce's doing her big world tour.
04:11And one of the things that everyone's talking about on that tour is her bringing Blue Ivy out to dance with her.
04:17Have you ever thought about maybe doing something like that with your son?
04:20You know, when I toured the last time, he would definitely jump on the piano.
04:25He would come out sometimes.
04:27And, like, right when I needed to change or switch, he would play for a little bit.
04:32And the people would go crazy because he's an anime fanatic.
04:36And he would he puts together all these piano songs based off of the most famous animes.
04:42So the anime community is in love with him.
04:46They love what he knows.
04:47So we did it sometimes.
04:49So sometimes we do it.
04:50Sometimes when he feels it, he'll be like, you know, he'll work on the set and then he'll put it out.
04:54So you never know.
04:55It might be happening.
04:56Alicia, when you visit Detroit, is there anywhere that you go or anyone that you see when you come here?
05:01You know, I was thinking about that.
05:02I was, like, thinking about, like, where should I go?
05:05I wanted to ask y'all, where should I go visit?
05:08I do actually have some family in the D, too.
05:11So I do see some family when I come, which is nice.
05:15And so I love that.
05:17When I get a chance to see family, it makes it feel even better.
05:20But where should I go?
05:21Where do you think I should go?
05:22Me and the gang.
05:24You should come see us at the radio station.
05:25But beyond that, the Motown Museum, I don't know if you've been there, but they've since renovated it.
05:35Like, millions and millions of dollars of renovation.
05:37That would be a good spot to go check out while you're here.
05:40You know what?
05:40That's fresh.
05:41And I went there, but years ago, years ago.
05:44So I do might need to do that again, because that is a really special place.
05:48It's crazy to see that place.
05:50$45 million expansion or something to it.
05:53So you definitely should go check that out.
05:56It just opened back up in February.
05:58So, yeah, that would be a good place to check.
06:00I still haven't been there yet, but...
06:02Well, I have one more question.
06:04How often are people really roller skating around your living room?
06:09Well, I think that my husband is crazy.
06:12And what can we say?
06:13He does crazy things.
06:14We know that.
06:15Now, it's more like sometimes we'll roller skate in the garage, which is a little bit
06:21more right.
06:22Like, the garage is a little bit more of, like, the place you're supposed to roller skate.
06:25Right.
06:28But we definitely do crazy things.
06:31We love it.
06:32I love it so much.
06:33Another question.
06:34So, we actually have someone that's kind of a mutual, not acquaintance.
06:39I guess you clearly know the person better than I do, but Chris Blue, you were his coach
06:43when you were on The Voice.
06:44Oh, that's right.
06:46Yeah.
06:46I used to live in Knoxville, and we did a couple things with him back at the radio station
06:50that I worked with there.
06:53So, I know that you did The Voice.
06:54What's your relationship like with the artists that you work with on the show?
06:57And would you ever go back and coach again?
06:59Oh, man.
07:00I loved doing The Voice.
07:01It was such a special show for me, and I was really glad that I could connect with so
07:07many up-and-coming artists and really give them some energy.
07:10I think it was a really special time for me.
07:12And, yes, I am in touch with them.
07:15All three of the artists that I was a part of, I'm in touch with.
07:18In fact, one of them who was maybe a part of, I think, the first season that I was a part
07:23of is in the cast of the new musical I just announced that's going to debut this fall.
07:31So, it was almost like I was meant to meet her for this.
07:37You know what I mean?
07:37So, it really makes me...
07:39Her name is Vanessa Ferguson.
07:41She's incredibly talented.
07:43The musical is called Hell's Kitchen.
07:45It's opening off Broadway on November 19th, and it's going to transfer to Broadway.
07:49It's a big dream of mine and a big accomplishment that I'm super excited about.
07:54And that came...
07:55One of the artists that are on the stage came from The Voice.
07:58So, I love it.
07:59So many people tell me, you know, man, will you go back?
08:02I met you from The Voice, or I love you from The Voice, or whatever.
08:06So, it's possible, but I feel like it was such a special time that, you know, it was just
08:10really, really unforgettable.
08:12Alicia, can you share with us, like, a had-to-be-there moment, whether if it was with another artist
08:17or, you know, a fan or something like that?
08:19Do you have a moment that stands out to you?
08:22Oh, man, there's so many.
08:24I mean, I was able to just celebrate Jay and B, and he has this beautiful opening at the
08:30Brooklyn Library.
08:32Like, basically, it's a beautiful retrospective.
08:33There's lyrics all on the front of it, I saw.
08:35Yeah.
08:37Yeah.
08:37And I was able to see them yesterday, which is incredible.
08:41Obviously, we've been friends for years, and it's beautiful to just be able to just,
08:45you know, see everybody shining and celebrate the experience.
08:49And so, that was cool.
08:51The last show I did in New York, there's the cutest, I mean, the cutest little girl.
08:57Her name is Jade.
08:58And she saw me the year before, and she came back with her mom.
09:04She got to be five years old, and she's like, Alicia Keys is my soul sister.
09:09Oh, I love it.
09:10That's so cool.
09:11Gotta love kids, right?
09:14It was so good.
09:15So, there's so many moments that I'm just like, I can't even believe I'm here.
09:18It's so beautiful.
09:19That's awesome.
09:20Well, Alicia, we are looking forward to seeing you tonight.
09:23The Keys to the Summer Tour at Little CaesarsArena313Presents.com is where you can get your tickets.
09:28Thank you so much for giving us some of your time today.
09:30I'm so happy to talk to y'all.
09:32I can't wait to see y'all tonight.
09:34We're going to go crazy and lots of love.
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