Alicia Keys has come under fire for her musical performance during Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, which kicked off on Saturday June 4. The reason ? His decision to have interpreted his cult title Empire State Of Mind, a song that pays tribute to the city of New York while the ceremony to celebrate the 70 years of reign of the sovereign obviously took place in London, in front of Buckingham Palace.
To defend herself, the winner of 15 Grammy Awards had a strong argument since, according to her, it was the Queen herself who asked her to perform this song. This is also what emerges from the recordings taken behind the scenes, where the 41-year-old artist can be heard saying the same thing to his two sons. One said in a tone of humor to his mother that it was “against the law” to refuse the Queen, and that therefore she had to follow his instructions.
22,000 spectators present for the event
Before her big performance, Alicia Keys had shared her apprehension of playing in front of such a large orchestra and her difficulty also in choosing what clothes she was going to put on. And it was finally in a magnificent black dress that the American singer performed in front of nearly 22,000 spectators, including Princess Charlotte, despite the controversy aroused by the fact that she decided to sing a title featuring before a city other than that of the Queen.
The latter, who moreover was not present at the concert with her family in the royal box, since she had declined the invitation for “mobility problems”. But the monarch, according to several media, would have indeed watched the event from her television set at Windsor Castle.
In addition to Alicia Keys, other big names from the pop or classic scene such as Andrea Bocelli or Rod Stewart paraded on stage for this third day of celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee. A concert that was, for most observers, up to all expectations!