Connecting With Emotional Power
Alicia Key’s opening at the 2020 Grammy Awards offers a lesson in how to balance sadness and celebration. The way she walked that tightrope was impressive.
Radio personalities can learn from how Alicia revealed her authentic emotions about the tragic death of Kobe Bryant through her words, tone of voice and body language.
Alicia revealed her unfiltered feelings of grief and sorrow but also hope and positivity. It was a complex and powerful message that she communicated from the moment she walked out on stage. Even though she was smiling, she was also measured, reserved and respectful. It was the perfect balance.
You knew she had to address Kobe’s death. It could’ve gone in many directions. The one she chose was masterful. Her time at the piano was soothing. This is someone you would want to be around on a bad day.
Alicia capped it off with her duet of It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday with Boyz II Men. The story of how that duet came together last-minute is a great example of staying calm, focused and flexible in a time of crisis.
It occurred to me that I never really paid much attention or took interest in Alicia Keys before…but now I’m a fan. Maybe this is a good example of a performer showing vulnerability and then becoming more popular or appealing.
Even when the walls are closing in with doom and gloom and tragedy, there’s always a way to spin it and brighten the lives of listeners or viewers.
Photo by Fred Kearney on Unsplash
