Alicia Keys and Raye have continued their growing musical partnership with a surprise performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

The 17-time Grammy winner joined the British singer-songwriter on stage on Friday night, where the pair performed Raye's emotional ballad Oscar Winning Tears before treating the audience to Keys' classic hit If I Ain't Got You.

The collaboration marks the second high-profile duet between the two artists this year. Earlier in 2026, Raye joined Keys during the American Idol finale for a surprise performance of Fallin', sparking praise from fans and fuelling calls for the pair to record together.

The Montreux appearance also reflects Keys' long-standing commitment to championing female artists. In 2018, she co-founded She Is The Music, a global non-profit that works to increase opportunities for women across the music industry, from songwriters and producers to engineers and executives.

The performance comes as Keys continues a busy run beyond music. Her award-winning Broadway musical Hell's Kitchen remains a major success, while the Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys exhibition is currently on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego through August.

Fans at Montreux described the duet as one of the festival's standout moments, with the two artists blending their distinctive vocals in an intimate set that highlighted the mutual admiration behind one of music's newest creative partnerships.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and chief editor of Music Talkers. He's also a keen music enthusiast and plays the guitar.