In early September 2012, the audio for the song "Not Even the King" was uploaded to Keys' official Vevo channel. On September 24, Keys performed an exclusive set for a MTV event called MTV Crashes Manchester. The set, which took place outside the City Cathedral in Manchester, included a variety of songs from her discography, as well as songs from Girl on Fire. On September 28, she performed several new tracks from the album as well as older hits at the iTunes Festival. On October 16, Keys performed her set at the "City Advantage Love the Journey Concert" at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. On November 12, Keys was featured on an episode of VH1 Storytellers, where she performed both old and new material. Josh Stillman of Entertainment Weekly praised her appearance on the show as a whole: "She carries herself onstage with cool and confidence – not showy or attention-seeking, merely comfortable – and speaks in a voice so smooth you could drape it over your shoulders." He noted that Keys was backed by a six-piece band for songs such as "No One" and "If I Ain't Got You", but stripped the mood down for the "passionate solo renditions" of "Not Even the King" and "Brand New Me".
