Alicia Keys reimagines ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ with ‘Bridgerton’-inspired orchestral release

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter's hit song is featured in the Regency-era prequel series, "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story."

Alicia Keys just put a new spin on an old classic! With inspiration from the brand new Netflix “Bridgerton” series, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” Keys has reimagined her hit 2003 song “If I Ain’t Got You,” complete with an international, all-female orchestra.

Since its premiere in 2020, “Bridgerton” has been praised for its storytelling, but also its use of contemporary music in a period piece. Like seasons past, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” features string quartet covers of hit songs from artists like Beyoncé, SZA, Whitney Houston and Keys. “If I Ain’t Got You,” in particular, has a moment in the spotlight in the new series, and this now-viral video of her hit song continues to the celebration.

The clip is a collaboration between Keys, Netflix and Universal Music Publishing Group, per Billboard. She told the outlet when breaking down the inspiration behind the video, “The entire idea was quite ambitious. I feel like it’s going to open the minds of many people to realize that women of color belong everywhere and we’ve always been everywhere. It’s magical.”

Netflix's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story World Premiere
Alicia Keys attends Netflix’s “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” world premiere on April 26, 2023, at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Netflix)

In total, the clip features 70 female musicians — wearing 1700s-inspired gowns — from various countries all over the world, including Egypt, Barbados, South Africa, Sweden creating what Billboard describes as a “first of its kind” all-female, all-women of color global orchestra. The women support Keys as she plays the classic ballad on the piano, lifting the song with strings, percussion, and horns.

“I know they’re gonna be very emotional when they see it because the women we who were there were extremely emotional,” Keys told the outlet. “Our conductor [Ofentse Pitse] said, ‘It feels like when we have an orchestra of all women of color from all over the world, that we’re finally doing something right.’ This is what our ancestors never experienced.”

Watch the clip above:

All episodes of “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” are currently streaming on Netflix.

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