From iHeartRadio.com comes these amazing video performances by Alicia Keys of singles, “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart” and “Empire State of Mind Pt II”, from the upcoming album, The Element of Freedom.” The performance took place at the P.C. Richard & Son Theater in Tribeca.
Having moved to NYC in 1996 to make live my dreams of success in the music business, the original with Jay-Z (YouTube video below) and now this live performance both deeply resonate with me. They remind me of how difficult it really is to make it in New York City. But, if you stay strong and on the grind, you will make it, because dreams are made here. I’ve been listening to the original for weeks now on the radio or my iTunes. Having just left my full-time day job to focus more on Netmix and consulting, it’s been an anthem that has energized and inspired me to make a go of it and do what I love.
We’ve had odes to New York City before, but this one is different. The song’s origin is Hip-Hop, a genre of music born on the streets of the Bronx. With the rap lyrics in the original version (see the video below) delivered by Jay-Z, Hip-Hop’s kingpin (move over Diddy), the song comes alive as a testament to the power of one’s self-motivated drive. Sure, there’s some chest-bumping ego going on too, but sometimes that’s the kind of attitude you need to have to move mountains and make it in NYC.
The Element of Freedom, is slated for releases on December 15th, 2009. Pre-order your copy of The Element of Freedom
Share your thoughts on the Alicia Keyes live performance of their duet video in the comments section. We’d love to know what you think.
