Alicia Keys Soothed the Grammys Audience With the Most Gentle Lewis Capaldi Cover

Updated on Jan 27, 2020 at 10:35 AM

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 26: Alicia Keys performs onstage during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

In light of Kobe Bryant's tragic passing, Alicia Keys, actual angel, brought a soothing presence to the 2020 Grammy Awards with a gentle piano jam session as host of the show at the Staples Center. The artist, a multiple Grammy winner herself, explained to the audience that sitting at the piano was her favorite way of processing the news and getting comfortable.

Keys riffed on the piano before diving straight into a playful cover of Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved." In the freestyled song, she referenced many of the artists up for Grammys, including BTS, H.E.R., and yes, Capaldi himself. To get an idea of what her parody performance was like, here's a sample of the lyrics: "And here's Alicia Keys to get you through it all / If you like country or you prefer Young Thug, I'm gonna get you kinda used to hearing music you love / Tonight we must unite in spite of all the news that we're seeing." No truer words sung, right?

Prior to this cover, Keys also started the Grammys with Boyz II Men, honoring the NBA legend with an emotional acoustic rendition of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" right after Lizzo's opening act. The performance ended with a pan of Bryant's retired jersey numbers in the Staples Center rafters.

No matter the occasion and mood, it's clear that an Alicia Keys performance, whether it's a cover or an original song, is always welcomed. We couldn't have asked for a more gracious Grammys host!

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Alicia Keys Soothed the Grammys Audience With the Most Gentle Lewis Capaldi Cover

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