On June 18, 2026, New York was filled with the sounds of Alicia Keys’ “Empire State Of Mind,” following the Knicks’ winning NBA finals game, scoring the championship for New York for the first time in 53 years. The famous lyrics, “In New York/Concrete jungle where dreams are made of/There’s nothin’ you can’t do/Now you’re in New York/These streets will make you feel brand-new/Big lights will inspire you/Let’s hear it for New York/New York, New York” were sung by fans all over the city, showing how Alicia Keys and her New York anthem has become synonymous with New York culture.
In addition to performing “Empire State Of Mind,” she also did a short rendition of “New York State Of Mind.” Watch it here:
The Origins Of “Empire State Of Mind”
“Empire State Of Mind” was originally released on October 20, 2009, with Jay-Z and was awarded 2 Grammys: “Best Rap Song” and “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.” The song was originally submitted by Angela Hunte and Janet Sewell-Ulepic to Roc Nation, but was met with negative reviews before being submitted to Jay-Z, who kept the hook but rewrote the verses.
In a quote from Hot New Hip Hop, Jake Lyda states: “Roc Nation asked Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic if they thought anyone else was more appropriate for the chorus. They suggested Alicia Keys, and Jay considered Mary J. Blige as well. But once he heard the piano loop, he knew Keys was the right choice.”
It wasn’t until Keys released “Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” that the song was solely attributed to her. Now it’s one of Keys’ most iconic tracks in her discography, with over 500 million listens on Spotify.
The Music Behind “Empire State Of Mind”
In F# major, the verse flips between two chords: F# and Bmaj7 before ending the verse on a C major chord. The C major adds a sense of grandeur with it being non-diatonic to the key and provides a sense of forward motion into the chorus, where we return to diatonicism. The progressions (other than the C), are rather mellow feeling if anything, but it adds a sense of comfort and home. Throughout the song, you can also hear The Moments’ “Love On A Two-Way Street” sampled. However, the real star of the song is Alicia Keys, whose voice complements the pounding piano chords throughout.
It’s clear the connection New Yorker’s feel to “Empire State of Mind,” with Complex even saying, “The record has replaced Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” as the city’s go-to anthem, and remains one of Keys’ greatest contributions to pop culture.” Hopefully, it won’t be another 53 years before we get to hear Keys perform “Empire State Of Mind” at the next Knicks championship parade.
