There’s a lot going on in the “Empire State Of Mind” lyrics, but it almost doesn’t matter. Throughout the song, Jay sounds bored and businesslike, and his lines simply don’t hit that hard.

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys joined forces to perform “Empire State of Mind” live at the 2024 Tony Awards on Sunday. The track — from the rapper’s 11th studio album, 2009’s The Blueprint 3 ...