Keys 'felt empowered with Beyoncé'

Alicia Keys has revealed that she felt 'empowered' collaborating with Beyoncé on her new album The Element Of Freedom.

The singer revealed that there was a "party" atmosphere in the studio when they recorded 'Put It In A Love Song' together last year.

"We had a lot of fun. It's nice that we just celebrate each others careers, that's what the song is about, coming together to empower each other," she told 1Xtra.

"We've become really good friends. We've been in the business about the same amount of time and both signed to Columbia records together when we were 14.

"It was like a party in the studio, the energy was so high and chemistry was genuine."

Keys recently confirmed that she would release her solo version of 'Empire State Of Mind' as her next single. The original version with Jay-Z came out in October 2009.