MTV is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Alicia Keys’ Unplugged with a worldwide broadcast of the landmark concert event, airing through October 12 across U.S. and international MTV channels. The special concert marks two decades since Keys’ first-ever live recording, captured on July 4, 2005, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The original MTV Unplugged made history as the first by a female artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and achieved the highest debut for an Unplugged performance since Nirvana’s legendary 1994 session. The live album, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best R&B Album, showcased Keys’ signature blend of soul, intimacy, and artistry.

To mark the anniversary, Keys recently took the stage at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre — home to her Tony Award-winning musical Hell’s Kitchen — for a one-night-only Encore Series concert. Among fan favorites, she performed “Unbreakable,” a standout track from the 2005 Unplugged album.

AK Worldwide and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, have also released Unplugged 20th Anniversary, a deluxe two-LP black vinyl edition of the concert, now available for purchase.

Adding a fresh touch to the celebration, Keys returned to Jungle City Studios in New York City to record a trio of Unplugged20 Sessions — new performances of “Karma,” “How Come You Don’t Call Me,” and “Butterflyz.” The intimate renditions are streaming now on YouTube.

MTV’s commemoration includes airings on MTV Live, MTVU, and MTV Classic in the U.S., along with exclusive music video blocks and highlights featured in the network’s “Fresh Out” playlist. Internationally, the Unplugged special will air across more than a dozen territories, including MTV Africa, MTV UK & Ireland, MTV Brazil, MTV France, and MTV Latin America, among others.

A Legacy Still Unbroken

A 17-time GRAMMY® Award winner, Alicia Keys continues to expand her creative reach across music, film, publishing, and theater. Her acclaimed Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen earned 13 Tony nominations, two wins, and the 2025 GRAMMY Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Keys also co-curated Giants: Art from the Dean Collection, a major exhibition of Black diasporic artists that continues to tour major U.S. museums through 2026.

With over 65 million records sold worldwide and more than 5 billion streams, Keys remains one of the most influential voices in contemporary R&B. Two of her biggest hits, “Empire State of Mind” and “No One,” were certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2024.

Now, twenty years after her Unplugged debut, Alicia Keys’ signature voice — raw, soulful, and timeless — still resonates with the same emotional power that first drew-in audiences.

The unplugged performances can be viewed now on YouTube.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

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