Partnering with Apple Music and TikTok for an exclusive live show taping recorded in spatial audio (airing Dec. 21 at 7pm PST on Apple Music), Keys honoured the beautiful venue with an unforgettable and transformative experience. Elegant as ever, the NYC native came out in a stunning evening gown, the diamonds on her mask sparkling under the stage lights. She effortlessly plucked the keys of her stand-up piano, opening up the show with her 2003 classic “You Don’t Know My Name.”

“This is THEE Holiday party of the season,” Keys said as she let out a sigh of sincerity that could be felt by everyone lucky enough to be in the room. Over the course of 90 minutes she took her fans on an epic journey through some of her most iconic hits including “My Boo,” “Girl on Fire,” and of course “Empire State of Mind” while mixing in some of her newfound holiday flavour. Eager to use her star power to lift up emerging voices around her, she invited breakout singer-songwriter and 2022 TikTok Emerging Artist JVKE out to perform a version of his mesmorizing track “golden hour.”

The energy reached a notable high during the second half of the performance when Grammy Award-winning artist Jon Batiste joined Keys for a colourful medley of covers, including Nina Simone‘s “Feeling Good” and Nat King Cole‘s “The Christmas Song.” 

With Christmas in the air, Keys channeled this energy to bring her Santa Baby album to life, making a live music special on par with the likes of Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton.