Alicia Keys has released a new song, “We Gotta Pray,” on the heels of the protests in New York City and Ferguson, Mo. The native New Yorker, who is pregnant with her second child, has been vocal in her support of those participating in various protests.
In the ballad, Keys, playing her signature piano, asks people to pray to combat feelings of hopelessness. As Keys sings, “Pray for the world tonight/We gotta save, somebody save somebody tonight,” the song stirs with gospel roots.
In the video, children are shown holding up signs reading, “My Life Matters.” The video also shows photos of protests in Ferguson and in Palestine. The video evokes the memories of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.
Since the song’s release, it has reached the top of the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 chart.