Chat Board - "Empire State of Mind"

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"Empire State of Mind" - Alicia Keys & JZ

Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
Forum Name: Chat Board
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URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5981
Printed Date: 06 August 2025 at 4:49am
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Topic: "Empire State of Mind" - Alicia Keys & JZ

Posted By: EdisonLite
Subject: "Empire State of Mind" - Alicia Keys & JZ
Date Posted: 01 December 2010 at 6:32pm

Does anyone know if the Alicia Keys solo version of "Empire State of Mind" was played on radio? I know that the version that was predominantly the Jay Z rap went to #1 - but I was amazed at how different the 2 versions are. The Alicia solo version has verse music (both melodies & lyrics) that can't at all be found in the duet version.

Replies:

Posted By: mainrhythm
Date Posted: 01 December 2010 at 10:41pm

Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down received most of its airplay at AC stations followed by R&B. It also had some airplay on the Top 40 stations.

Posted By: budaniel
Date Posted: 03 December 2010 at 9:57am

They used to play the duet version on mainstream radio, but lately here on Long Island, the ONLY version I hear on radio all the time is her solo version--on the lite stations, which would make sense since they want to seem 'cool' by playing modern music but most likely have no interest in having a hit that includes a rap--which is ironic when you consider that since lite stations these days play mostly music from 'the 80s, 90s and today', they are targeting the very audience that has been listening to rap since the days of White Lines and Jam On It...

Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 04 December 2010 at 10:28pm

budaniel wrote:

They used to play the duet version on mainstream radio, but lately here on Long Island, the ONLY version I hear on radio all the time is her solo version--on the lite stations, which would make sense since they want to seem 'cool' by playing modern music but most likely have no interest in having a hit that includes a rap--which is ironic when you consider that since lite stations these days play mostly music from 'the 80s, 90s and today', they are targeting the very audience that has been listening to rap since the days of White Lines and Jam On It...

I've noticed many Adult Contemporary stations also play a version of Katy Perry's "California Gurls" with Snoop Dogg's rap verses edited out. It's hard for me to imagine rap ever evolving into a staple on AC playlists, even with today's young adults, because folks simply don't tune in to a "lite rock" format to hear that type of music. By the same token, we may have begun to see the boundaries being tested... I believe Timbaland was the first rap artist to ever successfully crossover onto the AC chart a couple of years ago with his multi-format smash "Apologize" featuring One Republic. Granted, Timbaland doesn't even rap on that song as his role is relegated to simple "ay, ay, ay" chants.