![Alicia Keys and John Legend to Celebrate Juneteenth with 'Verzuz' Match-Up](https://www.okayplayer.com/media-library/alicia-keys-and-john-legend-to-celebrate-juneteenth-with-verzuz-match-up.jpg?id=33160227&width=1200&height=800&quality=90&coordinates=17%2C0%2C0%2C0)
Alicia Keys and John Legend to Celebrate Juneteenth with 'Verzuz' Match-Up
(Photo by Kevin Mazur for WireImage via Getty Images)
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R&B hitmakers, Alicia Keys and John Legend, will square up in the next Verzuz battle.
Announced via Instagram and Twitter this morning, the live-streamed showdown will celebrate this year's Juneteenth with an official start time of 8pm EST next Friday.
The bout will follow a "healing" match-up between modern gospel giants, Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond, the first battle to require participants use sound equipment specifically designed for the Verzuz platform as a measure of ensuring good sound quality throughout the broadcast. Lagging and connectivity issues have plagued previous installments of the Instagram Live event since its founding at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
\u201cLet's celebrate Juneteenth with a special edition #Verzuz! \n@AliciaKeys vs @JohnLegend on the \ud83c\udfb9 \n\nFriday, June 19th | 8PM EST\u201d— VERZUZ TV (@VERZUZ TV) 1592075394
Even with the technical difficulties, the semi-weekly series has done its part in boosting morale during the lockdown. Previous sessions have included appearances from Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, RZA, DJ Premier, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Babyface, Teddy Riley, and more. Each set features a head-to-head between the catalogs of the respective contenders followed by a requisite roasting on Twitter, guaranteeing some damn-good internet regardless of who actually wins.
Tune in next week to see Alicia Keys and John Legend duke it out on Verzuz.