R&B songstress Alicia Keys had the Landmark Oriental's MO Bar grooving on Saturday night. Here to preview tracks from an upcoming CD, she played a piano set that consisted of only four songs, but she had the crowd in her hands with a genuine smile and some soulful serenading.
Before the show, the media was sequestered upstairs for a brief CD-listening session, while invited VIPs sipped champagne downstairs in the foyer outside Gucci.
When the MO Bar doors finally opened, Keys was already tinkling on the piano and cozying up to the local crowd.
'I love the energy here, for all three hours I've been here,' she joked. 'The first thing I felt was sweltering heat, but that's alright - I like it hot.'
She then belted out three new tunes, including an empowering anthem called Superwoman, before wrapping up with Fallin'.
Then, RTHK's Alyson Hau engaged her in some chit-chat on-stage. When Keys asked for suggestions on experiencing some traditional culture, the crowd shouted out, 'shopping'. Sadly, the rest of the media didn't get to talk to her.
Darn, I really wanted to ask her about the MTV Video Awards because Keys was on stage when Kid Rock and Tommy Lee started a fight.