RAYE Meets Idol Alicia Keys Backstage At Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball With Barclaycard

11 December 2023, 11:47 | Updated: 11 December 2023, 14:01

Two icons collided when R&B legend Alicia Keys and hottest pop star of the moment RAYE met in the corridors of Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barclaycard.

The UK’s biggest Christmas party is notorious for bringing together the world’s biggest music stars and we’ve lost track of the number of collaborations that have been born out of Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barclaycard.

So it made our hearts so full to see RAYE having a chat with fellow Baller and noughties legend Alicia Keys backstage at The O2 with our fave soaring star RAYE.

The talented musicians posed side by side for a photo we’re immediately making our lock screen background, making our Christmas dreams come true. While Alicia looked effortlessly cool, as usual, in a red one piece, RAYE glowed in a sleek white PVC number.

• Read more: A-Z Of Every Unforgettable Performance At Capital's Jingle Bell Ball With Barclaycard
• Read more: Watch all the #CapitalJBB 2023 highlights on Global Player

Alicia Keys and Raye meet at the Jingle Bell Ball

Moments after the stunning snap was captured, Alicia posted a clip of them together, looking at the camera and asking her fans: "Should we catch a song together? What should we do!?"

A star-struck RAYE added: "Say yes in the comments please! Say yes and we'll do it!"

Earlier on in the day RAYE was teaching Capital Breakfast’s Roman Kemp, Chris Stark and Sian Welby to harmonise after revealing her plan to get the whole of The O2 singing along with her during her set on Sunday night.

Let’s just say… a bigger audience than the Breakfast trio was needed for such loud vocals... which sounded majestic when RAYE eventually tried it out on the arena crowd hours later.

And when Roman asked if RAYE has plans to return to the studio she revealed she's going to take a well-deserved break over Christmas – as she should!

She said: “If you’re gonna write music you have to live. I’ve had a really busy year, we did 138 shows this year but what am I going to write about? The long winding road?”

RAYE - You Don't Know Me (Live at Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2023)

The ‘Worth It.’ singer also teased what she had planned for her #CapitalJBB performance, which was also her JBB debut as a soloist.

She told us: “You can expect some old songs. We’ve done like a slow version of PRADA, the acoustic version.”

Meanwhile, Alicia said the London crowd gave her exactly the kind of energy she wanted.

She told Roman, Chris and Sian: “Two nights in a row! It was so much fun, tonight was extra special. London is a very special place to me, the people give me that good energy and I felt it more than ever.”

Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire (Live at Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2023, Night Two)

And when Roman asked her to describe the JBB vibes Alicia summed it up perfectly: “Very festive, very fun. Everybody feels like they’re ready… it’s the time to party for everyone. Everyone’s kind of ready to let go, release the end of the year, and you feel it. They’re excited and you feel it.”

Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball 2023 was 15-time Grammy winner Alicia’s first Ball and with a set list that included songs like ‘Girl On Fire’, ‘Fallin’’, ‘Empire State of Mind’ and ’Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart’ you know she dominated The O2 stage.

Check out all the #CapitalJBB interviews, backstage moments and performances on Global Player!