Here in Times Square

{{Infobox television | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | genre = Concert | creator = | story = | director = [[Hamish Hamilton (director)|Hamish Hamilton]] | creative_director = | presenter = | starring = [[Alicia Keys]] | composer = | country = United States | language = English | executive_producer = | producer = | location = [[Times Square]] | cinematography = | editor =  | camera =  | runtime =  | company =  | budget = | network = [[BET]] | released = {{Start date|2016|11|03}} | related =  }}

'''''Here in Times Square''''' is a concert television special featuring American singer-songwriter [[Alicia Keys]]. Recorded at [[Times Square]] in [[New York City]], the concert featured Keys and various guests performing songs from Keys sixth studio album ''[[Here (Alicia Keys album)|Here]]'' (2016) and her previous albums, as well as covers. The concert was directed by [[Hamish Hamilton (director)|Hamish Hamilton]] and recorded on October 9, 2016. It aired on [[BET]] in the United States on November 3, 2016 and later in other countries.

The concert featured guest appearances from a number of artists. [[Q-Tip (musician)|Q-Tip]], [[Nas]], [[Questlove]], [[John Mayer]] made an appearance and [[Jay Z]] joined Keys for a performance of "[[Empire State of Mind]]" (2009).<ref>{{cite web|title=Alicia Keys and Friends Shut Down Times Square in Epic Surprise Hometown Concert|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006731/en/Alicia-Keys-Friends-Shut-Times-Square-Epic|website=[[Business Wire]]|date=2016-11-01|publisher=[[Berkshire Hathaway]]|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> Keys was joined on stage by her band and background singers. Tickets to the concert were free. The event was sponsored by [[Olay]] and the [[Mayor of New York City|Mayor]]'s Office for Media and Entertainment.

== Background == In late September 2016, it was revealed that Keys was to perform a concert in [[New York City]], but the date and the location were unknown.<ref name="timout"/> On October 3, Keys announced the concert in an Instagram video and revealed the date, but not the location of the concert.<ref name="vibe">{{cite web|title=Alicia Keys Is Inviting Fans To Her Free Concert|url=https://www.vibe.com/2016/10/alicia-keys-free-concert/|author=Pincay, Pedro|work=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|publisher=[[Eldridge Industries]]|date=2016-10-04|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> She posted on Twitter "NYC!! Who’s ready to vibe with me on 10/9?! Location is a secret (shhhh 😉) but it’s ICONIC! Tickets are free, but it’s one per person so tag your friends!".<ref>{{Cite tweet|user=AliciaKeys |number=782985063977721856|date= 2 October 2016|title=NYC! Who’s ready to vibe with me on 10/9? Location is secret but it’s ICONIC! Tickets are free! Get them now 👉🏽 #AKNY|accessdate=2017-10-28}}</ref> Keys posted videos on [[Twitter]] from the rehearsals with the hashtag #HereinTimesSquare.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Diep, Eric|title=Alicia Keys Brings Out Jay Z to Perform "Empire State of Mind" in Times Square|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2016/10/alicia-keys-jay-z-empire-state-of-mind-times-square|website=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]|date=2016-10-10|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> She revealed the location of the concert on Saturday evening, the concert taking place on Sunday evening.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Berman, Taylor|title=Watch Alicia Keys Bring Out Jay Z During Surprise Times Square Concert|url=http://www.spin.com/2016/10/watch-alicia-keys-bring-out-jay-z-during-surprise-times-square-concert/|website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=2016-10-10|publisher=[[Eldridge Industries]]|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> She commented on the performance for ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' saying "I’ve never done this before. I guess that’s where I’m at right now. I’ve never done any of it before. You’re going to get a taste of how art and activism cross over in a way that’s so emotional, so triumphant".<ref name="timout">{{cite web|author1=Barlow, Eve|title=Alicia Keys on her new album, surprise NYC show and more|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/alicia-keys-on-her-new-album-surprise-nyc-show-and-more|website=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|publisher=[[Time Out Group]]|date=2016-09-27|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> Keys intentionally scheduled the concert for October 9, which is the birthday of [[John Lennon]].<ref name="timout"/> Stage was set up on [[Duffy Square]] part of Times Square.<ref name="vibe2"/> The day of the concert, Keys tweeted "Performing in the center of my city tonight!! This is my backyard Wow!!", and gave an interview to ''[[The Guardian]]'', where she explained that "Times Square was dark – gee, it was dismal. In the 80s, when I was a little girl, this whole [[Midtown Manhattan|Midtown]] area was a different world. These are the streets that I walked, and learned my lessons on, and heard the music, and witnessed disenfranchised people, and people who just had dreams and hopes".<ref>{{cite tweet |user=AliciaKeys |number=785255549344636928 |date=2016-10-09 |title=Performing in the center of my city tonight!! This is my backyard Wow!!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Mossman, Kate |title=Alicia Keys: 'I want to make sure all the issues about race are addressed' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/04/alicia-keys-i-want-to-make-sure-all-issues-race-hillary-clinton-here-interview |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=2016-11-06}}</ref>

== Concert synopsis == Keys performed fifteen songs. The concert started with Keys singing "The Gospel" and then moving on to "[[28 Thousand Days]]" (2015). Then she sang a "soft-jazzy rendition" of "[[You Don't Know My Name]]" (2003).<ref name=bb/> Before singing the next song, she invited [[Q-Tip (musician)|Q-Tip]] on the stage, saying ""I think I need to call my brother really quick".<ref>{{cite web|author1=Orcutt, KC|title=Review: Alicia Keys's 'Here' Concert in NYC Was the Perfect Alternative to the Presidential Debates|url=https://www.bet.com/article/1c6et8/alicia-keys-gave-us-life-last-night-in-new-york-city|website=[[BET]]|publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]]|date=2016-10-10|access-date=2017-10-22}}</ref> Q-Tip entered the stage and the two began mixing old hip-hop songs over a beat and piano, and Keys continued to sing "She Don't Really Care".<ref name=bb/> As the performance was ending, Keys said "Now New York, there’s no way I could be in NYC tonight and not bring out on the stage, my brother [[Nas]]!".<ref name=bb/> They performed "[[One Love (Nas song)|One Love]]" (1994) from Nas' album ''[[Illmatic]]'' (1994).<ref name=bb/> Then, she proceeded to perform the singles "[[Fallin' (Alicia Keys song)|Fallin']]" (2001), "[[In Common]]" (2016) and "Hallelujah".<ref name="noc">{{cite web|author1=Cohen, Sarah|title=Concert Review: Alicia Keys Takes Over Times Square To Celebrate 'Here'|url=https://theknockturnal.com/alicia-keys-times-square-takeover/|website=The Nockturnal|date=2016-10-12|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> She invited the next guest artist [[Questlove]] on the stage to play the drums, and performed a medley "[[If I Ain't Got You]]" (2004) and "[[Gravity (John Mayer song)|Gravity]]" (2006) as a duet with [[John Mayer]], who also played the guitar.<ref name="noc"/>

Keys then played her new single "[[Blended Family (What You Do for Love)]]" (2016). She covered the [[Bob Marley]] song "[[War (Bob Marley song)|War]]" (1976) and stated "Our brothers and sisters are being shot in cold blood for doing nothing. Chicago is like a war zone. Our gun laws don't work".<ref name="bet"/> Then, she played another socially conscious song "[[We Are Here (Alicia Keys song)|We Are Here]]" (2014) and "[[No One (Alicia Keys song)|No One]]" (2007).<ref name=bb/> "[[Empire State of Mind]]" (2009) was the second to last song of the show, which began with a rendition of Keys' own version "[[Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down]]" (2010), but soon transitioned to the original song, as [[Jay-Z]] emerged from the back of the stage as his verse began.<ref name="vibe2">{{cite web|author1=Augustin, Camille|title=The Night Alicia Keys Stopped Traffic In Times Square|url=https://www.vibe.com/2016/10/alicia-keys-here-in-times-square-concert/|date=2016-10-10|website=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|publisher=[[Eldridge Industries]]|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref><ref name="rup"/> During the concert, Keys voiced her opinion on presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]], after a video tape had leaked about Trump talking about sexually assaulting women.<ref name=ece>{{cite web|author1=Davis, Rachaell|title=Alicia Keys Fires Back At Donald Trump And Lights Up The Stage With Jay Z In NYC|url=http://www.essence.com/celebrity/alicia-keys-here-concert-nyc|website=[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]|date=2016-10-10|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> She told the audience "this ignorant, racist, jackass, whose name rhymes “Scump” has to nerve to talk about grabbing pussy? You know what I say to that?", and then raised her middle finger an encouraged people to vote in the upcoming elections.<ref name="noc"/><ref name=bb/><ref name="rup">{{cite web|title=Alicia Keys Brings Out Jay Z and Nas at Times Square Concert|url=http://www.rap-up.com/2016/10/10/alicia-keys-brings-out-jay-z-nas-at-times-square-concert/|website=[[Rap-Up]]|date=2016-10-10|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> To celebrate the birthday of [[John Lennon]], Keys ended the concert with a medley of "Holy War" and "[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]" (1971), filling the Times Square billboards with messages to end [[discrimination]], [[war]] and [[climate change]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author1=Goodman, Jessica|title=Alicia Keys' Times Square performance: Star sings Empire State of Mind with Jay Z|url=http://ew.com/article/2016/10/10/alicia-keys-times-square-jay-z-empire-state-mind/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|date=2016-10-10|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref><ref name=bb/><ref name="bet"/> She concluded the concert by saying "I love you with all of my heart. Let's rise up and shine up".<ref name="noc"/>

== Setlist == #"The Gospel" #"[[28 Thousand Days]]" #"[[You Don't Know My Name]]" #"She Don't Really Care" #"[[One Love (Nas song)|One Love]]" {{small|(performed with [[Nas]])}} #"[[Fallin' (Alicia Keys song)|Fallin']]" #"[[In Common]]" #"Hallelujah" #"[[If I Ain't Got You]]" / "[[Gravity (John Mayer song)|Gravity]]" {{small|(performed with [[Questlove]] and [[John Mayer]])}} #"[[Blended Family (What You Do for Love)]]" #"[[War (Bob Marley song)|War]]" #"[[We Are Here (Alicia Keys song)|We Are Here]]" #"[[No One (Alicia Keys song)|No One]]" #"[[Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down]]" / "[[Empire State of Mind]]" {{small|(performed with [[Jay Z]])}} #"Holy War" / "[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]"

==Credits and personnel== *Director **[[Hamish Hamilton (director)|Hamish Hamilton]] * Band **[[Adam Blackstone]] – MD/Bass **Justin Gilbert – Keys **[[Young Guru|Gimel ”Young Guru” Keaton]] – DJ **Whitney Keaton - Backgrounds **Raphael ”Raii” Smith - Backgrounds

== Critical reception == Nerisha Penrose form ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' wrote that "Keys delivered a captivating hour-and-a-half-long show that also served as a loving tribute to hip-hop history, right near the heart of its birthplace".<ref name=bb>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/concerts/7534367/alicia-keys-times-square-live-review-jay-z|title=Alicia Keys Shuts Down Times Square With Hometown Concert|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|author=Penrose, Nerisha|publisher=[[Eldridge Industries]]|date=2016-10-10|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> Rahcaell Davis from ''[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]'' wrote that Keys "brought out a handful of top-notch musical guests" and that "each artist on the bill lit up the stage and had the crowd in an uproar".<ref name=ece/> Sasha Geffen from ''[[MTV News]]'' commented that "Empire State of Mind" performance "doesn't really get a better venue than smack in the middle of [[Manhattan]]".<ref>{{cite web|author1=Geffen, Sasha|title=Alicia Keys And Jay Z Surprised Times Square With A Duet Of 'Empire State Of Mind'|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2941384/alicia-keys-jay-z-empire-state-mind-times-square/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011160452/http://www.mtv.com/news/2941384/alicia-keys-jay-z-empire-state-mind-times-square/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 11, 2016|website=[[MTV News]]|publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]]|date=2016-10-10|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> [[Mic (media company)|Mic]] wrote that "Keys put together a star-studded show" and praised Nas' and Jay-Z¨s appearance, calling it "the biggest, most unexpected, most iconic moment of the night".<ref name="mic">{{cite web|author1=Barnes, Tom|title=Alicia Keys, Jay Z perform "Empire State of Mind" at surprise show in Times Square|url=https://mic.com/articles/156353/alicia-keys-jay-z-perform-empire-state-of-mind-at-surprise-show-in-times-square#.MEPvYY0Hq|publisher=[[Mic (media company)|Mic]]|accessdate=2017-10-28|date=2016-10-10}}</ref> Raisa Bruner from ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' wrote that Keys and Jay Z gave an "electrifying performance" of "Empire State of Mind".<ref>{{cite magazine |author1=Bruner, Raisa |title=Watch Alicia Keys and Jay-Z Put New Yorkers in a New York State of Mind Like Only They Can |url=https://time.com/4525432/watch-alicia-keys-and-jay-z-put-new-yorkers-in-a-new-york-state-of-mind-like-only-they-can/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]] |date=2016-10-10}}</ref>

== Broadcasts == The concert aired on [[BET]] on November 3, 2016.<ref name="bet">{{cite web|title=About: Alicia HERE in Times Square|url=https://www.bet.com/article/jux1xw/about-alicia-here-in-times-square|publisher=[[BET]]|access-date=2017-10-22}}</ref> The concert was originally approximately hour and a half long, but it was cut to one hour for broadcasting, omitting "In Common", "Hallelujah", "War" and "We Are Here" performances. In France, the concert aired on December 24, 2016 on [[BET (France)|BET France]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Alicia Here in Times Square|url=http://www.betchannel.fr/news/alicia-here-in-times-square/8fra0b|website=[[BET (France)|BET France]]|publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]]|language=French|date=2016-12-01|accessdate=2017-10-22|archive-date=2017-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023014449/http://www.betchannel.fr/news/alicia-here-in-times-square/8fra0b|url-status=dead}}</ref> In Finland, the concert was shown on [[Yle TV2]] on May 13, 2017 and twice on [[Yle Teema & Fem]], on July 28 and July 31, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yle Live: Alicia Keys, Times Square N.Y.|url=https://areena.yle.fi/1-3862304|work=[[Yle]]|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Yle Live: Alicia Keys, Times Square N.Y.|url=https://www.telsu.fi/yle+live:+alicia+keys,+times+square+n.y.|website=Telsu|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023011740/https://www.telsu.fi/yle+live:+alicia+keys,+times+square+n.y.|archivedate=2017-10-23|url-status=live|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> In Brazil, the concert aired on Canal Bis on the [[International Women's Day]], April 8, 2017 and on June 5, 2017.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=AKeysBrazil |number=871900485523050496 |title=Corre AKFAM! Show de Alicia! "Here is Times Square no @canalbis agora!!! @aliciakeys #aliciakeys #aliciaishere |accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Canal Bis comemora o Dia da Mulher com shows inéditos de Beyoncé e Alicia Keys|url=http://www.vcfaz.tv/artigo.php?p=1651876|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023010526/http://www.vcfaz.tv/artigo.php?p=1651876|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 23, 2017|date=2017-03-07|website=Vcfac|language=Spanish|accessdate=2017-10-22}}</ref> Brazilian channel [[Multishow]] broadcast the concert on 26 May 2017.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=AKeysBrazil |number=868133812236165120 |date=26 May 2017 |title=O Multishow irá transmitir (às 13h), Alicia Keys: Here In Times Square! |accessdate=2018-10-24}}</ref> BET Africa broadcast the concert on 16 September 2017.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=BETAfrica |number=908986010754801664 |title=Set your reminders for 'Alicia Keys: Here in Times Square' @ 12:25 & she might just throw in performances with @S_C_ & @Nas. #BETWeekends |accessdate=2018-10-24}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:2016 television specials]] [[Category:Alicia Keys]] [[Category:Television shows directed by Hamish Hamilton (director)]]