Alicia Keys & Sam Smith's Voices Are a Revelation Together on This Duet
Smith and the former Voice Coach collaborated for the first time to celebrate an important milestone.
Despite 10 years passing since their hit "I'm Not the Only One," Sam Smith is celebrating a decade since the track topped the charts with none other than Alicia Keys.
Their duet of the emotional ballad is featured on the 10th anniversary edition of Smith's debut album, In the Only Hour, with production more stripped down than the original, making for a more intimate version accented with Keys' signature vocals. The pair first performed the song at Smith's Pride party in New York City's oldest gay bar, Julius, before recording the final version at Keys' Jungle City Studios.
“The vibe was super intimate," the former Voice Coach said in a statement, according to Billboard. "My son Egypt played Sam some keys and my son Genesis was telling jokes the whole time. Pure music, singing in the room together while I was playing piano.”
For an Instagram post debuting the duet's music video, Smith wrote, "Creating this version of 'I’m Not The Only One' was a dream. Hard to believe this is the first song we’ve recorded together, and incredible that it’s for such a special moment."
In addition to collaborating with Smith, Keys has definitely been keeping herself busy. In April 2024, she opened her musical, Hell's Kitchen, to rave reviews from Oprah herself.
The production is a semi-autobiographical tale of the Grammy-winner's living as a teen in 1990s New York City. It also features Keys' own music.
"It's a love story between a mother and her daughter," Keys said while on Sunday TODAY. "It's such a unique relationship, so telling that story is really dynamic."
What to know about "I'm Not the Only One" by Sam Smith
Co-written by Smith with producer Jimmy Napes and released in 2014, "I'm Not the Only One" was their breakout single on their debut album Stay With Me, and cemented them as an internationally known artist. The track peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
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"I'm kind of sick of listening to albums about the turmoils of relationships, never having had one," Smith told The Guardian about Stay With Me. "So I wanted to write an album for people who have never been in love. I want to be a voice for lonely people."
