Alicia Keys And John Mayer's Performance 'If I Ain't Got You' Left Us Tingling

Apr 20, 2020 by apost team

Alicia Keys is famous for her incredible piano playing and singing abilities, and her song If I Ain't Got You is powerful because it speaks directly to the soul. During a live performance in Times Square in 2016, the musician teamed up with her good friend John Mayer on a special rendition of that song, in which Mayer contributed his talents on guitar as well as his vocal skills.

Their version of the song lengthened it to nearly 10 minutes, thanks to some improvised jamming and a guitar solo courtesy of Mayer. 

On a stage set up in the middle of Times Square, Alicia Keys begins by playing the piano and singing the lyrics to If I Ain't Got You, in a pared-back version of the song. By just using her voice and piano-playing skills, the sound is stunning and shows off Keys' talents greatly –– she doesn't need anything else to carry a song!

She soon begins jamming and talking to the audience in the middle of the song –– this is not your typical version of If I Ain't Got You! She introduces well-known musician and drummer Questlove onto the stage to play the drums for her, and the crowd begin to cheer.

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But that's not the only famous friend she's calling on to help her perform this special version of the song. She then says to the audience: "And I also have to invite my dear, beautiful friend John Mayer," which prompts the audience to cheer even louder. He comes onstage and blows Alicia a small kiss, before setting up his guitar.

The three of them, alongside the rest of the backing band, then continue to jam while Alicia addresses the audience, before they move in to continuing the song. But instead of Alicia singing the next verse, John Mayer takes to the microphone! It's clear Alicia is enjoying herself so much, as she beams with a huge grin to the audience. 

John's rendition puts a different spin on the song entirely, but before too long Alicia joins him, bringing some of the familiarity of the original back. They harmonize together and it's wonderful to watch –– two friends enjoying themselves through music, with a massive audience to witness it.

John then breaks into a guitar solo that's just as soulful as their singing and really suits the song. He then seamlessly breaks into his own song Gravity, giving it the same vibe as If I Ain't Got You so that it flows perfectly.

And then, just as before but inverted, Keys starts to sing Mayer's song! The two of them then sing together again, harmonizing, before –– wait for it –– they break back into If I Ain't Got You for a huge finish! What a performance, it truly must be watched to be appreciated fully. 

What did you think of Alicia Keys and John Mayer's epic duet of If I Ain't Got You and Gravity? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this on to any friends and family who are fans of either of them!