Sophia Michaels
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Christmas time is officially here, and Alicia Keys is set to celebrate the holiday season with a special livestream concert to perform songs from her first Christmas album, Santa Baby, familiar classics, and medleys recorded live from New York City’s United Palace. Dubbed the “Holiday Masquerade Ball,” the 15-time Grammy winner’s performance marks the final show of Apple Music Live‘s concert series of the year and promises plenty of “glitter and glamour.”
Even if you didn’t get a chance to attend the Holiday Masquerade Ball yourself, fans can watch Keys’ Apple Music Live concert on Wednesday, Dec. 21 for free on Apple Music. (New Apple Music users can watch the livestream with a 30-day free trial before paying $10.99/month for a subscription.)
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“This is THEE holiday party of the season,” says Keys in a statement. “I’m grateful to Apple Music and TikTok for helping me create a magic moment to showcase my first holiday album, in such a special way, for everyone around the world.”
According to a release, the Holiday Masquerade Ball also features appearances by a few special guests, including “Golden Hour” singer-songwriter JVKE. Oscar winner Jon Batiste will also perform a medley of covers alongside Keys during the livestream, including Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” and Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.”
“Alicia Keys is a global icon who never fails to deliver an unforgettable live show. We’re excited to welcome her to the Apple Music Live stage to kick off the holiday season and celebrate an incredible year in music,” Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s global editorial head of hip hop and R&B, said in a release.
Leading up to the Apple Music livestream, Keys performed the title track from Santa Baby, complete with the “You Don’t Know My Name”-inspired intro, on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
“I’ve always talked about it, people have said, ‘Alicia, you need to do a Christmas album, it’d be so cool,” Keys told Colbert in an interview, when asked about why she wanted to release a Christmas album.
Keys continued, “And I just figured like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll do it, I’ll get to it.’ And this year it just felt right. Obviously this time of year is so special. All the greats that have their songs that create our memories — I want to be a part of that list. I want to be a part of something that creates memories for people. And this album is so good. You can play it while you’re making dinner, while you’re sitting by the fire, while you’re hanging out with your kids. You can play it any moment, and it just feels good and I love it.”
Buy Alicia Keys ‘Santa Baby’ LP $29.98
Keys’ livestream show, meantime, airs simultaneously on Apple Music and Apple Music’s TikTok at 7 p.m. PST. Fans can now stream the 11-track Santa Baby, including the single “December Back 2 June,” with an Apple Music subscription, or purchase the LP on CD or vinyl online.
Santa Baby isn’t the only new music Keys delivered this year. After embarking on a massive world tour earlier this summer, she released the deluxe edition of her critically acclaimed eighth studio album, 2021’s Keys, which Rolling Stone called “her most ambitious to date, going from torch ballads to dance tracks and spanning decades with ease.”
