Alicia Keys’ ‘Keys To The Summer Tour’ Leaned On Love And Unity For A Nostalgic Night

Alicia Keys’ ‘Keys To The Summer Tour’ Leaned On Love And Unity For A Nostalgic Night

Alicia Keys’ debut album Songs In A Minor was released 22 years ago this summer, marking the beginning of what would grow into a huge musical career. Since then, Keys has achieved countless No. 1 songs as a lead and featured artist, in addition to numerous Grammy Awards. Even though Keys is a less prominent superstar than she was in the 2000s, her fame hasn’t faded and she still held Boston’s TD Garden captive during her Keys To The Summer Tour visit.

Unsurprisingly, there were a ton of Keys’ longtime supporters in the arena. Instead of a younger generation that might not be completely aware of the artist’s past prominence, the audience was primarily made up of millennials who witnessed the young singer develop into what she is today. In light of this, Keys’ setlist for the evening represented the crowd in attendance. Only a few songs from Keys’ most recent albums, ALICIA and KEYS, which were released in 2020 and 2021, respectively, were included in the nearly two-hour-long performance. The remainder of the set list featured songs from well-known albums such As I Am, The Element of Freedom, The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Songs in a Minor.

Keys opened the show with “Fallin’,” which grabbed the audience’s attention by introducing his signature voice and his equally infamous piano key dance, which is still readily recognizable more than 20 years after the song’s release. As Keys moved through additional songs that are unquestionably standouts in her catalog, such as “You Don’t Know My Name,” “Unthinkable,” and “My Boo,” as well as other solid releases, such as “New Day” and “Karma,” the nostalgia only grew. Throughout the evening, Keys also made room for her more recent records.

From a sonic standpoint, “Love Looks Better” and “Underdog” fit well into the setlist, as did “Come For Me” and “City Of Gods (Part II),” demonstrating that despite changes in the music industry over time, Keys has remained committed to her extensive catalog for the past 20 years.

The latter portion of the evening was primarily concentrated on Keys’ biggest hits and songs that have accrued cult status over time. There was a powerful rendition of “A Woman’s Worth” and a riveting performance of “Superwoman.” Through “Butterflyz” and “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” as well as again through “Diary” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” a touching moment was shared.

Lively performances of “I Need You” and “The Gospel” brought the spirit back. Keys seemed to be having a blast the entire time, using the full platform that extended from end to end of the arena. She had the chance to engage with the crowd in various corners of the room, and she benefited from the excitement and vigor they had throughout the evening.

Scroll to Top