I have really taken my time over this review, but I don’t think anything I can say will really do this performance justice. I can honestly say that this is one of the best live performances I have experienced in all the gigs I have been too, and I’ve been to a lot of gigs! Ms Keys gave everything you would expect and want plus more, she treated to us to a performance which was both visually entertaining and vocally she excelled herself.
 
It was obvious that a lot of thought had been put into the show- with the backing dancers/singers, the band, computer visuals and the stage which was set up reminiscent to something you would have expected to see had you been watching the Supremes- with a slightly retro glitzy feel! However effective this was it was almost unnecessary because I felt she was at her best singing on her own at the piano, with no other distractions. This was more than enough to impress me.
  
A few tunes into the performance Alicia told us the advice she received when she started in the music industry ‘If you wanna make it Alicia you gotta shake it’ and did she shake it! She also explained that she wanted to do more than this, she wanted to touch people with her music. What followed was a great show comprising the best of Alicia from the early tunes of songs in a minor such as A women’s worth, How come you don’t call me and of course the classic all time Alicia great Fallin. Tunes from The Diary of Alicia Keys including You Don’t Know My Name, If I Ain’t Got You (which was the unsurprisingly breathtaking encore) and Diary. Leading on to some of the maybe lesser-known tunes from the new album As I am- Superwoman, Lesson Learned, Teenage Love Affair, Sure Looks Good To Me, Go Ahead and Like You’ll Never See Me Again- ending on No One with a bang. I have to admit the newer tunes were possibly some of the best performances of the night- Go ahead was particularly memorable for the energy Alicia gave to this performance and the impact it had on the crowd.
 
Her performance of Diary was the highest point of the show for me, which she merged with Butterflies and Goodbye. These were already favourites of mine- but hearing them sung live added a completely new dimension, there are no words to describe -perfection!  These songs perfectly demonstrated her capabilities as an artist and allowed her to shine- just her, a piano and that voice, what could be better. 

What made this performance so great was her ability to take you in, listen to the lyrics and make you feel the music. There is vulnerability in her music, yet this great confidence and empowerment. I think this tour marked a point of progression, an evolution for Alicia personally. The songs from the new album clearly illustrate this, which she wanted to share in her music and performance- she was saying this is me and look how far I’ve come.

My only one complaint would have to be with the venue and the poor sound (When will the O2 sort this problem out!?)- I think you really have to have seats in the first few rows to experience the full impact and be really involved with the performance. Fortunately we had pretty good seats, and her voice was just powerful enough to carry.

I hope others were as touched by this performance as I was and got as much out of it, it has given me a greater appreciation for Alicia keys, the depth of her music, her lyrics and how talented she is. It has also given me a greater appreciation for the latest album. Its clear she wants to spread positivity and hope with her music and for this she is an inspiration and has to be commended, If you get the chance to experience Alicia live I would definitely recommend it!