‘Fireworks’ will be album’s opening track.
By Jayson Rodriguez

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/d/drake/findyourlove_042910/281x211.jpg"/>



Drake


Photo: Cash Money Records

Drake confirmed Alicia Keys will appear as a guest on his forthcoming debut album during the Los Angeles stop of his Away From Home tour on Thursday night.

The Toronto MC broke the news to the crowd as the opening notes of “Fireworks,”
slated to be Thank Me Later’s opening track, began to boom from the speakers.

“This right here is the first song that you will here when you put that disk in,” Drake said of Thank Me Later, due June 15. “It’s a song with myself and Miss Alicia Keys, it’s called “Fireworks.”

“Money just changed everything, I wonder how life without it would go,” he rapped. “From the concrete, who knew that a flower would grow/ Looking down from the top and it’s crowded below/ My 15 minutes started an hour ago.”

Drake premiered the track during the first stop of his tour and has been revealing more of the number with subsequent performances.

In Rolling Stone magazine’s Spring Music Preview, the So Far Gone superstar revealed the track would address his relationships with Lil Wayne, his own family, and a rumored romance with Rihanna.

Last month, Drake told MTV News the song represents what his life is like at the moment.

“The song itself is the first song on the album; I think it’s the biggest indicator of what the album is gonna be like,” he said.
“That’s why I picked that song to go first, and that’s why I wrote the first verse like that. It’s really where I am in my life right now. I know they’re looking forward to the album, so I want them to get a feel of how the story starts off.”

Are you excited to hear Alicia Keys collaborating with Drake? Let us know in the comments!

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• href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/keys_alicia/artist.jhtml">Alicia Keys

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Oh no, you’re not catching me out like this again, Ms Keys. Credit where it is due, you did a very good job of sneaking your way into the record books by putting out the un-hip hop version of one of the biggest hip hop hits of the year. And yes, what that did was to force cultural commentators such as myself (I’ve got a badge and everything) to either review the same song twice, or pretend it isn’t happening.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me any more than three times, and you have to wonder if I’m deliberately pretending to be fooled because you’re being filmed for Facejacker or something.

(No video, sorry.)

That’s the trouble with Alicia’s careful confections; they get under the skin. Oh sure, it’s all there on first listen – the thunderous drum loop, the classical piano breakdown, the stacked harmonies that swoop and dip like a flock of starlings (see the current Foals video for details) all hit hard from the start. But it’s the way they linger which is interesting.

I mean, plenty of songs come across like they’re the spawn of a couple of Power Ballads Of The ’80s compliations. Heck, Glee are waging a one-show war to resurrect the originals in any case. What you need is a touch of strangeness to seperate the inspiration from its source. You need something which sounds NOT like an ’80s power ballad, so that the power ballad bits sound fresh.

You also need the power ballad bits because, well, that’s what Alicia does. It’s that kind of a song. She’s down, but she’s gonna find a way to make it without you, swine that you are, and while she does it, have you noticed she’s a dab hand at the ol’ joanna? Nifty, eh?

Now, should some enterprising hip hop producer seek to issue a rapped-over version of this song, I declare all future review correspondence to be closed until further notice.

See also: songs from Glee, mashups of hit songs from awards ceremonies, anything by Owl City*…

Download: Out now
www.aliciakeys.com
BBC Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

* Only kidding. OR AM I?

View full post on BBC Audio & Music | Radio 1 Chart Blog

Black Eyed Peas and Carrie Underwood also perform during ‘American Idol’ fundraising effort.
By Gil Kaufman

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/news/a/american_idol/2010/idol_gives_back_2010/alicia_keys/281x211.jpg"/>



Alicia Keys performs on “Idol Gives Back” Wednesday


Photo: Fox

Most of Wednesday night’s (April 21) “American Idol” was given over to the all-star fundraising effort “Idol Gives Back,” featuring performances from Alicia Keys, Elton John, Mary J. Blige and others uniting to raise funds for children’s charities in the U.S. and abroad. There was, of course, also work to be done, as another contestant faced elimination at the end of the nearly two-and-a-half-hour special.

But the majority of the show was focused on performances at the “Idol” studios in Los Angeles, as well as a second location at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where Queen Latifah hosted in front of a rowdy crowd hyped for Carrie Underwood, the Black Eyed Peas and other special guests.

	Stars Perform On ‘Idol Gives Back’

The evening opened with President Obama and the first lady, Michelle Obama, delivering a pre-taped message from the White House. ” ‘American Idol’ has always been about changing lives, on the stage and around the world,” the president said. “That’s why Michelle and I want to take a moment to thank everyone watching tonight for your continued generosity as part of ‘Idol Gives Back.’ ”

The top 12, all wearing crisp white outfits, were reunited for one last group number, the 1986 Freiheit song “Keeping the Dream Alive,” followed by the Black Eyed Peas, who beamed in for their tune “Rock That Body” on a stage shrouded in fog and crisscrossing lasers. As a half-dozen futuristic robot-girl warriors flashed their ray guns at the crowd, Fergie worked the stage in a metallic snakeskin bodysuit and knee-high matching boots for the uptempo dance tune.

This week’s mentor, Alicia Keys, sang her sultry new ballad “Un-Thinkable” while wearing a silky black pantsuit, and then sat down at the piano for a forceful run through the sequel to her hit duet with Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind (Pt. II) Broken Down.” Former “Idol” winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood dropped by to sing her inspirational ballad about trying to make a difference in the world, “Change.”

Though former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox was scheduled to perform, she was grounded by the Icelandic volcano, but still made an appearance in a touching segment about how the right drugs helped save the life of a desperately ill 7-year-old girl with pneumonia and AIDS. She later appeared in a satellite segment singing her hopeful tribute to children in need, “Universal Child,” a new song that was available for download on iTunes after the show.

English guitar icon Jeff Beck was joined by Joss Stone and the Jubilation choir for a slinky ramble through “I Put a Spell on You,” which featured plenty of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s legendary whammy-bar pyrotechnics. Mary J. Blige also lent a hand, hooking up with Orianthi, Travis Barker, Steve Vai and “Idol” judge Randy Jackson to perform Led Zeppelin’s rock classic “Stairway to Heaven.” Wearing dark shades, black leather pants and a black leotard with mirrored shoulder pads, Blige brought some soul power to the rock anthem, with Barker bashing out the rumbling rhythm and Vai and Orianthi trading off riffs as the tune built to a titanic peak.

The night’s final performance came from Elton John, who encouraged viewers to get educated about HIV/AIDS and to get tested for the disease before singing his ageless piano ballad “Your Song.”

Among the stars lending a hand through video segments chronicling childhood poverty and hunger were Jennifer Garner, former guest judge Victoria Beckham, Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, George Lopez, David Duchovny, Chris Rock, Josh Groban, Morgan Freeman, Slash, Jim Carrey, Wanda Sykes and Ben Affleck.

Garner visited an Appalachian town near hear hometown in Charleston, West Virginia, where 45 percent of children are growing up in poverty. She met a family of six that lives in a cramped two-room trailer with no heat and is getting some educational help from Save the Children, one of the night’s beneficiaries. Freeman and Randy Jackson traveled to Mississippi and watched as Save the Children helped spread literacy to help rural children get out of poverty. DeGeneres was in Monrovia, California, with David Arquette to see the efforts of Feeding America, which provides food to families in need, while former “Idol” winner David Cook went to Ethiopia on behalf of the U.N. Foundation to see their work trying to help save young girls from servitude.

After taking a year off in 2009 due to the financial crisis, Wednesday night’s show was the third edition of “Idol Gives Back,” and near the end of the show, Simon Cowell announced that $15 million had already been raised.

To donate to “Idol Gives Back,” call (877) 436-5243 or visit AmericanIdol.com.

Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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On the track, he spits game and throws a jab at old rival 50 Cent.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/s/shyne/shyne_040910/281x211.jpg"/>



Shyne


Photo: YBF

Shyne continued to release new music Wednesday (April 14) with his third new set of bars in as many days. On Monday, it was “Messiah.” On Tuesday, he dropped his vocals on Rihanna’s “Rude Boy.” Now comes an unofficial remix of Alicia Keys’ “Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready).”

Besides spitting game to a woman, he throws a jab at old rival 50 Cent. More than five years ago, 50 and Shyne traded disses around the time Shyne’s Godfather Buried Alive was released, when Shyne was still behind bars.
“I need a couple million, f— 50 cents,” he spits on the new track.

As for his wooing on “Un-Thinkable,” the Brooklyn slugger raps, “When we first met, I was an outlaw/ Never pretended to be anything but a roller from the streets/ Saying I should change, Ma, I gotta eat/ Ain’t gon’ be no peace till the blood get a piece.”

Shyne was sentenced to 10 years in prison for two counts of assault as well as reckless endangerment and gun possession in a 1999 shooting and was released late last year. He is working on his new album for Def Jam. The music he put out this week has been directed at the streets and the ladies.

“You say you want a rude boy, huh?/ Please/ Let the shotta know,” he raps on the “Rude Boy” remix. “This penitentiary pipe will have you singing opera notes/ Lock and load, where you wanna go? … / This is rock and roll, with them choppers, though/ Tell junior, fall back now that daddy’s home.”

What do you think of Shyne’s new music? Let us know in the comments below!

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The Black Keys
Apr. 8 – Iowa City, IA @ University of Iowa
Apr. 10 – San Francisco, CA @ Yuri’s Night Bay Area
Apr. 17 – Live Oak, FL @ Wanee Music Festival
Apr. 18 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore
Apr. 19 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
May 20 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
June 2 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
June 3 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
June 4 – Kansas City, MO @ The Crossroads
June 8, 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
June 10 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
June 11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
July 27, 28 – New York, NY @ Central Park SummerStage

Jakob Dylan
Apr. 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Apr. 10 – Covington, KY @ Madison Theater
Apr. 13 – Louisville, KY @ Brown Theatre
Apr. 15 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
Apr. 16 – S. Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Apr. 17 – Albany, NY @ The Egg
Apr. 19 – Northhampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre
Apr. 20 – Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
Apr. 21 – New York, NY @ Town Hall
Apr. 22 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live
Apr. 23 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Apr. 25 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Apr. 26 – Chicago, IL @ Park West
Apr. 27 – St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theatre –
Apr. 28 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theatre
May 12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
May 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

Mountain Jam
June 4-6 – Hunter, NY

FRIDAY
Gov’t Mule
The Avett Brothers
Les Claypool
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Dr. Dog
The New Mastersounds
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
The London Souls
Gandalf Murphy & SCD
Natural Breakdown
Elmwood
Tamarama
Alabaster Brown
Dean Batstone
Kari Spieler
Join the Jam Contest Winner

SATURDAY
Gov’t Mule
Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
Drive-By Truckers
Toots and the Maytals
Dark Star Orchestra
Dave Mason
The Whigs
The Duke & The King
Lettuce
Sonya Kitchell
Company Of Thieves
Jerry Joseph & Wally Ingram
Zach Deputy
Tao Rodriguez-Seeger Band
The Brew
Simone Felice
Van Ghost
Bret Mosley
Son Of Bill
IS

SUNDAY
Levon Helm & Friends 70th Birthday Celebration (with very special guests)
Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Matisyahu
Jay Farrar (of Son Volt)
ALO
One eskimO
Justin Townes Earle
Allison Moorer
The Bridge
Mojo Myles Mancuso
These United States
The McLovins
Jamie McLean Band

View full post on Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily

Swizz Beatz, Melanie Fiona and Robin Thicke also performed at Keys’ hometown show.
By James Dinh

src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/k/alica_keys_perf_03172010/matt/jayz/281x211.jpg"/>



Jay-Z and Alicia Keys perform at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night


Photo: Matt Harper/ MTV News

It was a night of soaring vocals, positive messages and surprise guests when Alicia Keys’ Freedom Tour stopped in her hometown of New York City on Wednesday evening at Madison Square Garden. The singer, who was joined onstage by Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Swizz Beatz, performed a string of songs from past to present and even showcased some of her dance skills.

Before the songstress emerged onstage, fans were treated to the soulful sounds of opening acts Jermaine Paul, Melanie Fiona and Robin Thicke. Paul, who has previously served as a background singer for Keys, was enthusiastic in his efforts to hype up the audience. Fiona kept the momentum moving with her powerful vocal range and charismatic smile while she performed songs like “It Kills Me” and new single “Ay Yo.”

When Robin Thicke made his way to the stage, it was clear he was aware of his legions of female fans. Decked out in a dark suit and sunglasses, the singer crooned his way through his set, which included the thumping “Shakin’ It 4 Daddy” and “Lost Without U.” Thicke remained playful as well by ending his set with a sing-along to Lil Wayne’s “A Milli.”

Shortly after 9:30, the lights went out and the beginning of Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us” filled the air. The drums of the 1996 track intensified as the night’s main attraction appeared before fans on towering video screens.
“I’m a renegade. I’m a truth seeker. They told me I would never make it and I did. They told me I wasn’t strong enough but I am mighty. The element of freedom is tattooed on my heart,” Keys announced.

Alicia Keys appeared in a chain-wrapped cage amid the smoke that slowly flooded the stage. She began the show with a medley of her track “Caged Bird” and “Love Is Blind.” She whipped her hair from side to side until she made her way out of the spinning entrapment and happily towards the front of the stage.

“New York, you feeling good?” she asked the roaring crowd. There was no hesitation — the jam-packed arena was ready. Dressed in a tight black top, sparkling pants and a red coat with tails, Keys made full use of the stage by fluttering from side to side with her dancers during “You Don’t Know My Name.” She continued with songs like “Fallen,” which she changed around vocally, and her rocking Jack White collaboration “Another Way to Die.”

	Alicia Keys, Beyonce, More In Concert

Opening act Jermaine Paul took the stage once again when Keys sat down at her piano for “Diary.” While the two played vocal acrobatics around each other during the song’s bridge, it was evident that they shared onstage chemistry. After a quick costume change into a sleek white dress, she performed “Superwoman” and “If I Can’t Have You.”
The songstress took several moments throughout her show to explain the importance of believing in yourself.

But after another outfit change, it was her performance of “Put It in a Love Song” that really got fans riled up. Keys performed her way through the dance number, then introduced Beyoncé, who descended from a staircase and joined Keys for the remainder of the song, ending with a dance breakdown. This marks the very first time the two artists have ever performed together onstage.
Keys slowed things down after the powerhouse female duet with songs like “Unthinkable” and “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart.”

And with Beyoncé making a surprise appearance onstage, it was only fitting that her husband do the same. As Keys momentarily stopped playing piano, Swizz Beatz ran onstage and was soon followed by none other than Jay-Z. Times Square and the city skyline engulfed the arena as scenes of the city shined brightly for the sea of people. There’s something especially moving about listening to the ode to New York City “Empire State of Mind” while actually in the city itself.

Keys is always a master on piano, but her evening in New York proved her ability to put on a show with massive vocals, strong imagery and a powerful message.

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• href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/robin_thicke/artist.jhtml">Robin Thicke

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‘The concept of the tour is really amazing,’ singer says.
By Hillary Crosley, with reporting by Shaheem Reid

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keys_alicia/new_collabos_120409/281x211.jpg"/>



Alicia Keys


Photo: Michael Loccisano/ WireImage

After performing her hit “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart” for 108,000 fans during NBA All-Star Weekend, Alicia Keys is looking north to begin her next tour.

“The tour is starting on February 26. We start in Canada, then we bring it down to America,” the singer said. “I’m really excited about it. I can’t believe that it’s that soon. It’s going to be amazing and the concept of the tour is really amazing, and putting it together, I feel so excited. So I hope you make it.”

Toronto native Melanie Fiona and R&B crooner Robin Thicke will open on Keys’ tour, which she’s calling the Freedom Tour after her album The Element of Freedom. Keys and company will perform for two days in Canada before coming stateside, to Chicago. The international leg of Keys’ trek then begins on April 29.

Alicia and Beyoncé recently filmed the video for their duet “Put It in a Love Song” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sporting fashions that draw upon ethnic prints and playful skirts, the two divas played up the colorful energy of the South American city. “Put It in a Love Song” is set to premiere on March 8.

Here are dates for the North American leg of the Freedom Tour:

» 2/26 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
» 2/28 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
» 3/3 – Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
» 3/5 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
» 3/6 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
» 3/8 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
» 3/10 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
» 3/11 – Verona, NY @ Turning Stone
» 3/13 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Casino
» 3/14 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Casino
» 3/17 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
» 3/19 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Centre
» 3/20 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Mark Etess Arena
» 3/22 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
» 3/24 – Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
» 3/25 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
» 3/27 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
» 3/28 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times-Forum
» 3/30 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
» 4/2 – Dallas, TX @ Nokia Theater (Grand Prairie)
» 4/3 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
» 4/6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
» 4/7 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
» 4/9 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay
» 4/10 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Coliseum

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‘The energy of the city matches the energy of the song,’ Keys says of shooting ‘Put It in a Love Song’ clip in Rio de Janeiro.
By Shaheem Reid

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/news/k/keys_alicia/all_star_game/281x211.jpg"/>



Alicia Keys at the NBA All-Star Game


Photo: MTV News

DALLAS — Alicia Keys recently teamed with fellow female powerhouse Beyoncé to film the video for “Put It in a Love Song” in Brazil. Some local fans posted video footage online, in which we see Keys giving a performance in the streets.

A plethora of photos were also put on AliciaKeysDaily.com, showing A.Keys and B dressed up in festive dresses, also in the streets. On Sunday, during the NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium, Alicia talked about the latest release from her The Element of Freedom LP.

“Shooting ‘Put It in a Love Song’ in Rio, in Brazil, was very incredible,” Keys said. “I feel that the energy of the city matches the energy of the song. It’s sensual, it’s exciting, it’s so rich with color. I loved it. The people came out so heavy and so hard. I think it was exciting, especially to participate and experience it with them like that. Me and B have a great relationship. And to be able to have the chemistry we have and do it in a city that’s so unique like that is unforgettable. The pictures speak a thousand words. So you saw the energy out there. It was great.”

On Sunday, Keys performed for more than 108,000 people at the stadium, a new attendance record for any NBA game. The singer did a medley of her hits: “Empire State of Mind,” “Sleeping With a Broken Heart” and “No One.”

“It is a grand stage,” Keys said of the mini-set. “It’s really exciting. I’m a personal fan of championship-style games where the best are playing. It’s exciting, and I love that. Also to be able to perform on a stage like this and a venue like this, people are excited. They’re here to have a great time, and so I’m glad that on Valentine’s Day, I’m able to bring a little love in the building. So it’s gonna be beautiful.”

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View full post on MTV News