Alicia Keys was hard to miss this week. In addition to her appearances at Sundance, President Obama’s Inaugural Ball, and the NRJ Music Awards, the hard-working Keys was in the hot seat on “The Jonathan Ross Show” during her visit to the U.K.
The birthday girl chatted about performing “Obama’s on Fire,” her husband Swizz Beatz, and two-year-old son Egypt, who can name the entire starting lineup for the Knicks.
She also belted out a bit of “Empire State of Mind” on the couch and then sat down at the piano for an intimate performance of “Brand New Me.”
Alicia’s week of celebration continues as her album Girl on Fire has officially gone platinum. “The Bday love continues!!! Woooow!! Over a million worldwide sales of Girl on fire album and almost 2 million singles!! So Much love to all my fam!! And @nickiminaj & WERE JUST GETTING STARTED!!! #blessing and love!!” she tweeted.
Following a day of celebration for her 32nd birthday, Alicia Keys was back to work, attending the NRJ Music Awards 2013 in Cannes, France. The Grammy-winning singer and her husband Swizz Beatz were all smiles as they held hands and walked the red carpet. Alicia stunned in a black cutout dress, while Swizz looked sharp in a blue suit and fedora.
“Just arrived at the @nrjmusicaward show!! France, I can FEEL the LOVE!!” tweeted Alicia, fresh off the release of her Crystal Waters-inspired remix to “Brand New Me.”
She will return to the U.S. to perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in New Orleans next weekend. “I feel really good about it ’cause it’s gonna be just a total different version than anybody else has ever done,” she told Kiss FM in the U.K. “So many people have sang the song and it’s such a famous song. I just wanted to do it in a way that only I can do it, so I’ve created the version that only I could do.”
Alicia Keys celebrates her 32nd birthday with a gift for her fans. The R&B songstress remixes her Girl on Fire anthem “Brand New Me” into a dance floor-ready record, which samples Crystal Waters’ 1991 hit “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless).”
“I’ve been so overwhelmed by all of your birthday love that I HAD to do something extra special for you! Love to you!!! Big shout to Crystal Waters for your inspiration!… New Music!! B.N.M Part 2!!!!” tweeted Alicia, who will perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl on February 3.
Alicia Keys is having an incredible week. After premiering her new film The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete at Sundance and performing for President Obama at the Inaugural Ball, the singer celebrated her 32nd birthday at Los Premios 40 Principales in Madrid, Spain.
She opened with “New Day” and performed some of her latest hits including “Girl on Fire” and “Brand New Me,” and was serenaded by the crowd with “Happy Birthday.”
“Awwww!!!! All These people just sang me happy birthday to help bring in my day!!! Such a beautiful memory to have of Madrid!! Thank u thank u Spain!!” tweeted Alicia, who was presented with the award for best American artist/composer of the last decade.
She later joined Spanish superstar Alejandro Sanz onstage to perform their bilingual collaboration “Looking for Paradise.”
Her hubby Swizz Beatz was by his wife’s side on her special day. “Happy Bday to my Wife! A person who celebrates everybody, but hardly ever celebrates her self today is all yours,” he wrote.
Like hundreds of thousands of Americans, Alicia Keys descended upon the National Mall in Washington with her family to celebrate the inauguration of President Obama. The Grammy-winning singer watched with husband Swizz Beatz and son Egypt as Obama was sworn in for a second term.
Later in the evening, she changed into a stunning red Michael Kors gown to perform “New Day” and a special rendition of her hit “Girl on Fire” at the Commander-in-Chief’s Inaugural Ball.
She changed the lyrics especially for the occasion, singing, “He’s the president and he’s on fire … Obama’s on fire. Obama’s on fire.”
Alicia later tweeted about the special day. “Today was uplifting in everyway!! And to share it with my heartbeat made it perfectly unforgettable! Here’s to the future!;-) endless blessings!” she wrote along with a photo of Swizz.
The star-studded inaugural festivities also included performances from Stevie Wonder, Jamie Foxx, Usher, and John Legend.
Whitney Houston. Mariah Carey. Christina Aguilera. And now Alicia Keys will join the illustrious list of superstars when she sings the national anthem at the Super Bowl next month.
Alicia Keys landed in Park City, Utah, on Thursday for a surprise appearance at the Sundance Film Festival to promote her new film The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete. While she does not star in the coming-of-age story, the “Girl on Fire” is an executive producer and handled the score.
Her Secret Life of Bees co-star Jennifer Hudson leads the cast, which also includes Jordin Sparks, Anthony Mackie, and Skylan Brooks.
“I was really drawn to the script immediately and I loved the fact that it was so powerful,” Alicia told HitFix. “It was very engaging in a way that was unique and I felt like it really got to the heart of the human experience.”
She was excited to share the movie with festivalgoers for the first time. “Headed to #Sundance for the first time! So proud to share the film I produced with the world!” tweeted Alicia, who will kick off her “Set the World on Fire” tour with Miguel on March 7 in Seattle.
For her next role, she is rumored to be playing the legendary Lena Horne in an upcoming biopic. “That would be a dream project for me,” said Alicia, who would not confirm the reports.
The ladies of music and Hollywood represented at the 6th annual BET Honors at Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Brandy, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, and more were on hand to perform musical tributes to icons in the fields of music, literature, entertainment, media, and education.
This year’s honorees included Oscar winner Halle Berry, the legendary Chaka Khan, music executive and entrepreneur Clarence Avant, spiritual educator T.D. Jakes, and Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie.
Alicia Keys ignited the stage with a red-hot performance of “Brand New Me,” while the newly-engaged Brandy performed “Without You” off her album Two Eleven. Kelly Rowland presented the award to Chaka Khan, and Ledisi saluted the 10-time Grammy winner with a soulful set.
BET Honors 2013 will air during Black History Month on February 11.
