Former First Lady Michelle Obama is a fan of Alicia Keys, and during the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, she made sure to share the impact Keys’ music, and advocacy has on the world. “I remember what it felt like to feel like to hear the song ‘Fallin’ for the first time,” Obama recalled.

“It was edgy and soulful, graceful yet raw,” she said. “This young singer was taking us to church and to the symphony and to a candlelight dinner and couples therapy and everywhere else, all in a little more than three minutes. I knew right then and there that this wouldn’t be the last we’d hear from Alicia Keys, and in the years since, she’s amazed us again and again in so many ways.”

According to the also author, the New York native superstar is “not just an artist. She’s also an advocate for women and families around the world, a leader on social justice, a wife, a mentor, a mother. But most of all, she is herself, always thoughtful, always hopeful, always Alicia. And in bearing her true self, she calls us all to be the same in our own lives and for each other.”

Obama revealed that Alicia Keys inspires her and her daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, the same way she inspires millions of fans worldwide. The former First Lady concluded her tribute by introducing the 40-year-old star to the stage.

The award-winning singer and pianist vowed the audience by performing “Piano & I,” “A Woman’s Worth,” “How Come You Don’t Call Me,” and her iconic track “Fallin.’”

Known as one of the best R&B artists of her generation, Keys is celebrating 20 years of magic, great sound, and an unparalleled career.

Watch below Alicia Keys’ medley at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards