Alicia Keys may be a 15-time Grammy winner, but to her 9-year-old son Genesis, she’s just “mom” – and he has his own collection of famous friends. In a charming interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the singer gushed about her younger child’s star-struck interactions with Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish.
It seems Genesis has been a Swift fan since toddlerhood. Keys recalled a 2019 moment at the iHeart Radio Awards when 3-year-old Genesis, seated in the audience, locked eyes with Swift and enthusiastically waved at the pop star from his seat. Swift warmly waved back mid-performance, undeterred by Keys delivering a heartfelt speech onstage.
“He was flirting. Like, actually flirting with her,” Keys laughed about the adorable encounter captured on camera. She mimicked Genesis’ delighted grin and animated waves, lovingly teasing, “I was pouring my heart out with all my thank yous, and he was [waving at Swift].”
But Genesis’ crush extended well beyond that first meeting. Last August, when he attended Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Los Angeles, he fretted beforehand whether the superstar would remember their connection.
“He was like, ‘Is she going to remember me? It was a whole thing…Because she knew me since I was three, right mom?'” Keys recalled her son’s nervous excitement.
In videos she shared on Instagram, a beaming Swift embraced Genesis warmly after the show, planting a kiss on his cheek. The two exchanged friendship bracelets, and Swift penned a sweet note which Keys said Genesis planned to frame: “Gen, hi my friend. I was so excited when I heard you were coming tonight!! I hope you had so much fun…I’ll be waving at you. Love, Taylor.”
“Big love to @taylorswift for your big beautiful spirit that makes everyone feel loved! Genesis adores u,” Keys captioned the posts appreciatively.
The “Girl on Fire” hitmaker expressed pride that despite her own global fame, Genesis has found inspirational figures to admire beyond his superstar mom. She shared that he’s also a massive Billie Eilish fan who persistently asked Keys if he could leave Eilish a voicemail.
“He was like, ‘I’m just gonna say, like, I would love to be friends and I really like her music,'” Keys recalled with a laugh about her son’s determined requests. “And so he leaves her this whole message, after harassing me for days and days on end.”
To Genesis’ delight, Eilish did respond with a warm voice message of her own which Keys played: “I would love to be your friend. Alicia is my friend, I love her and I love you. Let’s hang out and be friends, I would love that so much.”
While exuding humility about her own iconic status, Keys clearly takes immense pride in watching her sons develop their own passions and joyfully connect with influential artists they admire. She seems to relish her role as a cool music mom coordinating meetings with pop royalty.
In a social media era where celebrities often lament overzealous fan encounters, it’s refreshing to see megastars like Swift and Eilish graciously nurturing a young fan’s exuberance. Keys’ anecdotes offer an uplifting glimpse at quiet moments of intergenerational mentorship and kindness in the entertainment industry.
As Genesis follows his musical interests, he’s organically learning that beyond awards show accolades, an artist’s truest legacy lies in how they uplift and inspire the next generation. Thanks to Keys’ guidance and the generosity of her peers, her son is experiencing that human connection firsthand through the universal language of music.
