The duo appear on the 10th anniversary edition of Smith's debut album, In the hour of unity
Jungle City Studios New York was buzzing as Sam Smith and Alicia Keys showed up to perform “I’m Not the Only One” live. The special duo appears on the 10th anniversary edition of Smith’s debut album In the hour of unityDuring the show, Keys accompanied them on keys and vocals, as the duo expressed their emotions on the grand piano.
The Ava Rickey-directed music video for the collaboration is complemented by footage from Smith’s New York City Pride concert at the historic gay bar Julius earlier this summer. So while the record itself is full of raw emotion, parts of the video are a joyful celebration of friendship and love, with appearances by drag icons Lady Bunny, Dylan Mulvaney, Christian Cowan, Ella Snyder, and Nick Champ. In fact, Smith and Keys performed “I’m Not the Only One” live at that very concert.
“I loved working on this song with Sam! What a special moment! It was on our bucket list! The vibe was so intimate,” Keys wrote in a statement. “We recorded it in my studio in New York. My son Egypt played some of Sam’s keys and my son Genesis was cracking jokes the entire time. Pure music, singing along in the room while I played the piano.”
“I am so proud to be working with Alicia, an incredible talent and beautiful soul who is joining me to reimagine such a special track to celebrate a decade of In The Lonely Hour,” Smith added.
The musician announced the re-release of their debut album in June, revealing plans to collaborate with Keys, John Legend, Mary J. Blige and A$AP Rocky. The groundbreaking album featured career-defining songs, including “Stay With Me” and “Not In That Way.”
“It was such an amazing experience to go back to the beginning of my career. I will always be proud of In The Lonely Hour because it was my first step into music,” Smith said. “I listen to the album now and it feels like I’m looking at old photos, a mix of emotions, but I love the album and I still love singing these songs so much. It was written about a period of unrequited love in my life. It’s a real coming-of-age story.”
