Alicia Keys and John Legend Team Up for Juneteenth Verzuz

If you’ve been hankering for a new Verzuz battle, look no further. This Friday June 19, Alicia Keys and John Legend will be taking to Instagram Live for a special Juneteenth edition of the music match-up that grew out of COVID-19 quarantine.

So far, Verzuz matchups have included Erykah Badu and Jill Scott; Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond; and Beenie Man and Bounty Killer from Jamaica.

The Keys and Legend battle is likely to be one full of beautiful crooning and piano playing, as the Grammy-award winning artists are both known for their skills on the piano.

The two singer/songwriters made the announcement about their Juneteenth Verzuz on their social media channels over the weekend, providing a much-needed glimmer of black joy as protests against police killings and racial injustice continue across the country. Juneteenth commemorates the date in 1865 when black Americans enslaved in Gavelston, Texas were informed that slavery had been abolished.

The Juneteenth Verzuz battle promises to be one to remember.

On one hand, Legend is an EGOT holder who earned an Academy Award for “Glory,” his stirring song with Common that is as relevant as ever during the ongoing movement for racial justice:

On the other hand, Alicia can do this: