The singer played some of her biggest hits on Sir Elton John’s piano at St. Pancras International Station
Train commuters got the surprise of their life on Monday when they discovered Alicia Keys performing a surprise set at St. Pancras International Station in London. The Grammy winner sat down at the black Yamaha piano, donated by Sir Elton John in 2016, on Monday morning after performing at Capital’s Jingle Ball in London on Sunday night.
The native New Yorker played her 2009 hit, “Empire State of Mind,” with the crowd erupting in cheers as she changed the lyrics from “now you’re in New York,” to “now you’re in London.” The singer then performed her hits, “If I Aint’ Got You,” and “No One.” She also sang her latest single, “Lifeline.”
Footage from the impromptu concert shows Keys leading the station into a sing-along for her new song.
Fans got out their phones to immortalize the performance on social media. “Imagine getting in a lift at @StPancrasInt and seeing @aliciakeys at the piano,” wrote one, as another said, “So @aliciakeys just rocked up at @StPancrasInt Train Station and played some of her biggest hits. Maddd.”
Back in the States, Hell’s Kitchen, the musical based loosely on the life of Alicia Keys, is headed to Broadway this spring. The show, with a score written by Keys and a book by Kristoffer Diaz, made its world premiere at the Public Theater on Nov. 19. The show will transfer to the Shubert Theater on Broadway starting March 28, with an opening night on Apr. 20.
The singer recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Diary of Alicia Keys with a 24-track re-release titled The Diary of Alicia Keys 20 featuring the newly-surfaced song “Golden Child,” previously locked away in her personal vault. She delivered a special performance of the record at Webster Hall in New York.