About
Robbie Williams featured Empire State of Mind II as a staged interlude on the 2014 Swings Both Ways Live Tour, performed in support of Swings Both Ways. The Alicia Keys song was presented not as a duet but as a spotlight moment for Williams’s long-time backing vocalist Denosh Bennett, who delivered the piece in full while Williams remained on stage as part of the surrounding theatrical set.
The arrangement was created specifically for the tour’s orchestral line-up. Bennett handled the entire vocal lead, performing from the front of the stage while Williams listened from the elevated ship-themed platform used throughout the production. The song functioned as a bridge within the show’s New York–themed sequence.
At the conclusion of Bennett’s performance, Williams transitioned directly into a rendition of Theme from New York, New York, using the closing bars of Empire State of Mind II to shift seamlessly into the classic swing arrangement. This formed one of the tour’s most structured narrative links, contrasting contemporary soul-pop with mid-century big-band material.
Empire State of Mind II remained exclusive to the Swings Both Ways Live Tour and stands out as a rare instance in which a Williams concert formally ceded an entire number to a backing vocalist. Its role within the New York sequence exemplified the tour’s emphasis on theatrical continuity and ensemble performance.
Lyrics
Oooh oooh, New York
Grew up in a town,
That is famous as a place of movie scenes
The noise is always loud
There are sirens all around
And the streets are mean
If I could make it there
I could make it anywhere
That's what they say
Seeing my face in lights
Or my name in marquees found down on Broadway
Even if it ain't all it seems
I got a pocketful of dreams
Baby, I'm from
New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
Credits
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Vocalist
Denosh Bennett -
Songwriter
Alicia Keys, Alexander Shuckburg, Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Sylvia Robinson, Bert Keyes, Janet Sewell-Ulepic -
Original Artist
Alicia Keys