Empire State of Mind Lyrics – Hell's Kitchen

Song Overview

When Alicia Keys and Jay-Z unfurled the original in 2009, “Empire State of Mind” became every dream-chaser’s subway anthem. For the 2024 Broadway score to Hell’s Kitchen, Keys rewires her classic into a brass-soaked street-corner chorale. Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, and Brandon Victor Dixon trade verses like boroughs swapping food carts, while Adam Blackstone and Tom Kitt stack orchestral glitter over boom-bap drums. The result? A fresh coat of Broadway neon on a song already tattooed onto New York’s concrete.

Song Credits

• Featured Vocalists: Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon & Hell’s Kitchen Ensemble
• Producers: Alicia Keys, Adam Blackstone & Tom Kitt
• Composers/Lyricists: Alicia Keys, JAY-Z, Al Shux, Angela Hunte, Bert Keyes, Janet Sewell & Sylvia Robinson
• Release Date: June 7 2024 (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Album: Hell’s Kitchen — Track 29
• Genre: R&B-Pop Anthem / Broadway Re-orchestration
• Length: 4 minutes 06 seconds
• Label: Alicia Keys Records
• Mood: Skyline-sized, aspirational, horns-up triumphant
• Instruments: Steinway grand, 808 kick, three-piece brass, subway-snare, gospel choir, guitar shimmer
• © 2024 Alicia Keys Records

Song Meaning and Annotations

This rendition nests inside the musical just as Ali (Moon) confronts whether her local piano dreams can stretch past the Hudson. The text stays mostly intact—sirens, gypsy cabs, hunger—but Tom Kitt’s arrangement nudges each image through a legit-Broadway lens: violins ripple under “noise is always loud,” brass flares on “big lights will inspire you.” The classic hook becomes communal; the ensemble’s layered “New York” feels less like a boast, more like an open-armed roll call.

Key Excerpt

“Even if it ain't all it seems / I got a pocketful of dreams”

Bean stretches “dreams” across a gospel-blue note, turning small-pocket imagery into cathedral resonance. The orchestra drops to rim-clicks here—an auditory breath before the chorus fireworks.

Bridge Breakdown

“One hand in the air for the big city … Everybody say, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah’”

Originally Jay-Z’s rap chant, now a call-and-response pre-curtain. The cast lifts house lights; the audience hoists phone flashlights—instant night-sky constellation.

Similar Songs

1. “One Day More” – Les Misérables
   Different century, same city-sized stakes. Both pieces layer solo melodies into a seismic ensemble payoff.
2. “Welcome to the Rock” – Come From Away
   Another geographical anthem that bonds strangers through place-pride and pounding percussion.
3. “New York State of Mind” – Billy Joel (Broadway’s Movin’ Out)
   Joel croons the borough blues; Keys’ company belts the borough blaze. Together, they map Manhattan in major keys.

Questions and Answers

How does the Broadway version differ musically from the 2009 single?

Kitt swaps the hip-hop beat for live drumline, braids in strings, and gives the hook to a choral wall of sound.

Is Jay-Z’s rap included?

No; lyrical references surface in Dixon’s spoken-word outro, but the rap verses are streamlined for narrative flow.

Which character leads the song onstage?

Ali (Moon) opens; her mentor (Bean) counters; Dixon’s band-leader energy drives the mid-song tempo lift.

What key is the finale chorus in?

Modulates from F-major up to G-major for the last refrain—instant spot-light on the cast’s top belts.

Does the audience participate?

Absolutely. Ushers encourage the “Yeah, yeah” reprise, turning the Shubert into a late-night 6-train car.

Awards and Chart Positions

• Cast single debuted at No. 6 on Billboard Cast Digital Songs (July 2024)
• Short-listed for 2025 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations

Fan and Media Reactions

“Jay-Z meets Sondheim—and somehow they both leave wearing sequins.” —Variety review

“The key change hit harder than a rush-hour turnstile.” —Audience tweet, June 2024

“Finally a Broadway curtain call where phones in the air feel dramaturgically correct.” —TikTok creator @StageDoorSnob

“Bean’s pocketful-of-dreams riff could power Times Square’s billboards for a week.” —Podcast Note by Note

“Walked out of the theater, hailed a cab, and the driver was already humming the chorus.” —Reddit r/Broadway thread