The duet appears on the 10th anniversary edition of Smith’s debut album, In the Lonely Hour
Jungle City Studios in New York was filled with soul as Sam Smith and Alicia Keys popped in for a live performance of “I’m Not the Only One.” The special duet appears on the 10th anniversary edition of Smith’s debut album In the Lonely Hour. For the performance, Keys accompanied them on keys and vocals with the pair spilling their feelings over a grand piano.
The Ava Rikki-directed music video for the collaboration is completed with snapshots from Smith’s New York City Pride party at the historic gay bar Julius earlier this summer. So, while the record itself swells with raw emotion, parts of the video are a joyous celebration of friendship and love with appearances from drag icon Lady Bunny, Dylan Mulvaney, Christian Cowan, Ella Snyder, and Nick Champ. Smith and Keys actually performed “I’m Not the Only One” live at that very party.
“I LOVED working on this with Sam! And for such a special moment! It’s been on both of our wishlists! The vibe was super intimate,” Keys wrote in a statement. “We recorded it at my studio in New York. 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.”
Smith added: “I am so honored to have worked with Alicia who is an incredible talent and a beautiful soul joining me to re-imagine such a special track to celebrate a decade of In The Lonely Hour.”
The musician announced the reissue of their debut in June, revealing plans for collaborations with Keys, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, and A$AP Rocky. The breakthrough record featured career-defining songs, including “Stay With Me” and “Not In That Way.”
“Revisiting the start of my career has been the most incredible experience. I will always be the most proud of In The Lonely Hour as it was my first baby steps into music,” Smith shared. “I listen back to the album now and it feels like looking back at old photos, a mix of emotions, but I love the record and I still love singing these songs so much. This album was written about a period of unrequited love in my life. It’s a real life coming-of-age story.”
