Alicia Keys Revels In The 'Energy' Of Manchester Cathedral

Last night (September 24, 2012), Alicia Keys headlined the MTV Crashes Manchester event, in the city’s cathedral. The 14 time Grammy winner was clearly overjoyed at the opportunity to play in such a stunning venue, where she treated the1,000 strong crowd to renditions of material from her new album Girl on Fire. “It was great, I loved it. I've been feeling so interestingly different performing these songs,” Keys told Associated Press.

The singer, who has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, said that singing in a place of worship had a very special feel to it, describing it as “an honour” and explaining that there was “an energy there that’s very different.” The new Alicia Keys songs haven’t been performed very many times but she seemed to be settling into it well: “Today I felt so calm, and paced, and right in the zone with the crowd. I haven't performed these songs a ton of times, like four shows so far or something, but I guess that's enough to start feeling confident and get the flow. I loved this show, and what a beautiful venue.”

Her new album is highly anticipated by Keys’ fans, who have had to wait since 2009 for a new studio album from her. Girl on Fire will be released on November 26, 2012 and features collaborations with Emeli Sande and Bruno Mars.