As has become her custom, Alicia Keys has released a solo version of her recent single, “City Of Gods.” While the original “City Of Gods” features both Kanye West and Fivio Foreign, on “City Of Gods Part II,” Keys strips back the production, turning her latest ode to the Big Apple into a tender ballad. The new video features Alicia showing off a Mercedes-Benz concept car, as well as being coronated by a New York rap icon. Slick Rick appears in the video, bequeathing a large and heavy-looking collection of chains to Alicia, who stoically regards the camera as her neck gets chunkier and chunkier.
Included in that collection is one of Keys’ own chains, which she commissioned from famed New York jeweler Elliante And Co. to commemorate her latest album, KEYS. The glittering neckpiece features a rendition of a set of piano keys with the singer’s signature and received praise from both her husband Swizz Beatz and Jay-Z. Jay-Z was Alicia’s collaborator on a prior record celebrating New York City, “Empire State of Mind,” which she also remixed after its initial success. Whether “City Of Gods II” leads into another body of work for 2022 remains to be seen.
Watch the video for Alicia Keys’ “City Of Gods Part II” above.