Alicia Keys is returning to the VMAs — and this time, she’s bringing Swae Lee. The pair’s new single, “Lala,” dropped today (September 9).
For the iconic singer-songwriter’s first performance on the VMAs stage since she lit it up in 2012 for “Girl on Fire” with Nicki Minaj and Olympian Gabby Douglas, Keys will debut the song alongside her collaborator “with spectacular city views in celebration of the resilience of New York,” according to a release.
Keys is a longtime VMAs mainstay, having won four awards, including her very first, in 2001, for Best New Artist in a Video, which she won for debut single “Fallin.'” In 2009, Keys teamed up with Jay-Z for a show-closing duet of “Empire State of Mind.”
Keys and Lee join a star-studded, stacked lineup of presenters and performers at this year’s VMAs, including Justin Bieber, Travis Barker, Camila Cabello, Chlöe, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, The Kid Laroi, Lil Nas X, Machine Gun Kelly, Shawn Mendes, Kacey Musgraves, Ozuna, Olivia Rodrigo, Tainy, and Twenty One Pilots. Kim Petras, Swedish House Mafia, and Polo G will perform during the pre-show.
Doja Cat will host the show. Find all the nominees right here.
The VMAs will air live on Sunday, September 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. This year’s awards will debut a newly redesigned Moonperson statue from fine artist Kehinde Wiley. They will also honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks by collaborating with the nonprofit 9/11 Day on a series of events to promote awareness and positive action around the day’s 20th anniversary.
