NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 25, 2005) — This month MTV brought its popular
Unplugged series out of retirement for nine-time Grammy Award winner and Yamaha artist
Alicia Keys. She taped the
Unplugged show in New York City, performing a mix of her hits, a couple of new songs, some collaborations with special guests, and remakes of classics. The show is tentatively set to air on MTV on September 9, but the airdate is subject to change.
Keys commented to MTV News, "
Unplugged is my thing, it's really my style, it's what I'm all about." She added, "When I first started playing anywhere, it was on a little cheesy keyboard in a small, nasty hotel dive, and even though I didn't have a beautiful 9-foot Yamaha piano, there was a certain energy that comes with an intimate space. I really loved it."
Using her Yamaha DCFIIIS, Keys belted out hits from her multi-platinum albums
Songs in A Minor and
The Diary of Alicia Keys, including "Karma," "Heartburn," "A Woman's Worth," "If I Was Your Woman," "Diary," "Goodbye," "Butterflies," "If I Ain't Got You" and "Fallin'."
The evening included premieres of two new songs: "Unbreakable," about how sometimes life and love can be unbreakable, and "Stolen Moments," which she wrote with Al Green about a romance that shouldn't exist.
Some very special guests joined Keys on stage for several amazing collaborations. Maroon 5's Adam Levine paired with Keys on a remake of the Rolling Stones classic "Wild Horses." Keys also sang "Love It or Leave It Alone" with Common and Mos Def and concluded the show with "Welcome to Jamrock" with Damian Marley.
Yamaha has the proud distinction of managing more artist relationships than any other musical manufacturer in the world. Working with more than 3,500 musicians, these artists range in popularity from the mega superstar to the budding talent just starting a career. These musicians shine across the spectrum of musical genres and their abilities are as unique as the vast and wonderful Yamaha product line.
