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Alicia Keys Reacts to Gabrielle Union's Daughter Kaavia Singing "Girl on Fire"

By Brett Malec Nov 30, 2022 10:58 PMTags
Watch: Will There be Another Alicia Keys & Jay-Z Collab? She Says…

Alicia Keys is "Fallin'" for Gabrielle Union's little karaoke queen.

After Union's 4-year-old daughter Kaavia James Union Wade recently covered the Grammy winner's hit 2012 anthem "Girl on Fire" in an adorable Instagram video, the singer revealed what it means to her to have a new generation finding inspiration in her music.

"That is everything," Keys exclusively told E! News (airing tonight at 11:30 p.m.). "That's the biggest, most beautiful gift."

She continued, "When you create music, I think you create it because, first of all, you have something to share and then you want people to feel it. So when these little girls and boys and grown folks sing 'Girl on Fire' with so much conviction and so much love, it reminds them that they are powerful, they are possible, they are on fire.'

For that reason, Keys considers the hit one of her greatest accomplishments. "In a way it's one of the best things I ever did," she told E! News. "And I had no idea it would have that effect for so many people—but that it does, that makes me feel not only powerful but humble."

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Gabrielle Union's Daughter Kaavia's Encanto Birthday Party

Of course, "Girl on Fire" is just one song on Keys' long list of iconic hits. She also revealed that she and Jay-Z have talked about doing a possible follow-up to their 2009 love letter to NYC, "Empire State of Mind."

Getty Images/Instagram

"We talk about that a lot," Keys, who is releasing her first-ever holiday album, Santa Baby, on Nov. 4, admitted. "There's so many songs that come up and it's like, 'Oh, Jay would be crazy on this,' or, 'Oh, A.K. would be crazy on this.' And then we're like, 'But will it ever be like 'Empire State of Mind'? I wonder if it kind of hinders us in a way. Like, there's no topping it."

Regardless, she added, "I would love to do another collaboration with my brother."

In the meantime, she's basking in the holiday spirit with the release of her holiday album Santa Baby, which dropped Nov. 4. 

Keys recorded the album on the road, saying it was all about finding the "energy and spirit" of Christmas in July. As she put it, "It evokes such a feeling inside, and these songs are so classic." 

When it comes to the title track, she's all about the "playfulness" of the Eartha Kitt song.

"The way that it's like, you don't know who Santa is," she said, adding with a laugh, "I remember one of the kids walked in and was like, 'What's going on with you and Santa?' Because it's definitely all about that." 

Keys suggests listening to Santa Baby with a glass of wine or cozied up in front of the fireplace with family, while soaking up the true "meaning" of the season. "From beginning to end, it takes you on a journey," she said. "You feel festive. You feel the warmth of the season. That's what I'm the most proud of."

Hear more from Keys, including the inspiration behind her new holiday clothing collection with Athleta, tonight at 11:30 on E! News.

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