Singer-songwriter Alicia Keyes surprised London traingoers with a free performance.
? Alicia Keys a donné un concert surprise aux voyageurs de la gare de St Pancras à Londres ! ?
— Le Média Positif ? (@LMPositif) December 12, 2023
? flettken
pic.twitter.com/lKpe2rrHfq
According to Reuters, she was in the area headlining a concert at the O2 arena over the weekend.
On Monday, Keys was spotted at St. Pancras International Station and couldn’t resist playing the station’s piano, which was donated to the building by Elton John.
She performed for about 10 minutes, just enough time to sing “Empire State of Mind,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “No One.”
A large crowd gathered to listen and was also treated to her new release, “Lifeline,” which is featured in the recent film adaptation of the Broadway musical, “The Color Purple.”
In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, by USA Today Life, she asked the crowd before performing, “How did you guys beat me to my own idea?”
Alicia Keys put on an impromptu performance of some of her greatest hits at the St. Pancras International train station in London. pic.twitter.com/BiRavMOMVt
— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) December 11, 2023
“How did you know?” she continued.
Then she asked, “Where are you guys going? Are you guys taking the train today?”
“Should I take the train, too?” she joked.
CBS News posted a clip to X noting, “She switched the lyrics from ‘now you’re in New York’ to ‘now we’re in London’ as the crowd sang with her.”
Alicia Keys surprised commuters in London, putting on a show on a public piano at train station. She switched the lyrics from “now you’re in New York” to “now we’re in London,” as the crowd sang with her ❤️ pic.twitter.com/XZ3fkCSucU
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 12, 2023
The crowd cheered when she sang about London as well and leaned in close to share the moment with Keys.
DJ Daley shared another view and wrote, “What a surprise. you turned up @StPancrasInt to board the train and found out that Alicia Keys was bopping out some tunes.”
What a surprise ?you turned up @StPancrasInt to board the train and found out that Alicia Keys was bopping out some tunes ??
— DJ DALEY (@DJDaley) December 11, 2023
pic.twitter.com/9qjrNNXGK2
She shared this performance shortly after news broke that her semi-autobiographical musical “Hell’s Kitchen” is set to hit Broadway in the springtime.
AP News reported that it will be featured at the Shubert Theater.
Keys said, “I loved going to the theater and I was inspired by it and the songwriting and the expression and the beauty and the way you could be transported.”
“But I never really put it together that maybe one day I would be able to have a debut on Broadway,” she added.