ALICIA KEYS IS THE COVER STAR OF VOGUE ITALIA’S NOVEMBER ISSUE

Following her captivating performance at Vogue World: Milano, Alicia Keys graces the pages of the November issue of Vogue Italia in an interview by Corinne Corci, accompanied by photographs by Szilveszter Makó.

Against the stunning backdrop of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Vogue World: Milano celebrated the intersection of fashion, art, music and Italian craftsmanship. For the occasion, Alicia Keys took the stage to perform Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, wearing a creation by Francesco Risso for Bureau of Imagination — a dress composed of fragments, materials and memories that perfectly embodied the theme of the human touch running throughout this edition of Vogue World. This interplay of music, fashion and craftsmanship provides the set for her conversation with Vogue Italia: “I loved the connection to the concept of craftsmanship. I think about how a fabric comes into being, the painting on a dress, or the mastery of Roberto Bolle’s classical ballet. Everything celebrated the hands”.

For Keys, her connection to Italy transcends rational explanation: “I feel a connection with Italy that goes beyond reason; it’s a genetic, spiritual connection. It’s a wonderful country, but what makes it unique are the people who live there. It’s as if your souls were wide open; and the language, well, it sounds like a song”. That bond is also woven into her family history. Keys’s first surname is Augello, and her Italian roots trace back to Sicily. Yet it is humanity, rather than geography, that lies at the heart of her relationship with the country. Reflecting on an encounter while in Italy, Keys explains: “I don’t speak Italian, and she didn’t know English, but when I looked at her, I saw my aunt, I saw my mother. I understood what she was trying to communicate through the way she took care of me. Italy is humanity”.

The interview also explores the story of a remarkably precocious talent and her relationship with the city that shaped her identity more than any other: New York. Keys grew up in 1980s Hell’s Kitchen, sharing a studio apartment with her mother, Terria Joseph, and began studying classical piano as a child. In 2001, at just 20, she released Songs in A Minor, the album that propelled her to stardom and set the stage for a career spanning 90 million records sold and 17 Grammy Awards. She remembers those early years through a vivid, almost cinematic image: “It’s the perfect snapshot of my life. Huge, bright lights, people from every culture rushing everywhere, the gray concrete of the streets and, at the center of it all, a piano. It was a dark neighborhood, a little dangerous and dirty, but full of hope and promise. I was one of those girls running around, and now I’ve made it somewhere”.

Today, alongside music and her international career, her husband, Swizz Beatz, plays a central role in her life. A producer and visionary widely regarded as one of music’s most influential figures, he has known Keys since their high school days. He recalls their first encounter: “She was much ‘tougher’ than me. I remember her as if she were standing right in front of me now. She was wearing an enormously oversized shirt, baggy pants and a winter hat pulled down over her head. I asked her for her phone number, and she didn’t give it to me. Today, we’ve been married for 16 years and have two wonderful children. Ours is a movie-worthy love story”.

In an exclusive reveal with Vogue Italia, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz unveil Lovers Rose, the title of their first musical collaboration. Conceived as a sonic installation – a sound you can immerse yourself in that transports the listener – the intimate and unexpected project brings together their shared love of soul music, Chicano soul, and car culture.

Set to debut early 2027, Lovers Rose marks an exciting bold new chapter in the couple’s creative partnership. For Swizz Beatz, the collaboration is a particularly special experience: “Working with my wife, who I’m still a huge fan of, is amazing. Being able to be in the same room with her, write together, share ideas and give the audience something they wouldn’t expect from the two of us is incredible.” Keys, in turn, describes the project as a space that exists beyond expectations: “It’s not the typical ‘New York sound.’ There’s a sense of peace, of warmth, a vibe that allows you to relax and disconnect from the chaos of a world that frightens us.”

Beyond fame, live performances and international projects, Keys returns to a simple, universal understanding of happiness: “We all want security, respect and the chance to pursue our dreams. We all want love”. For her, love also has a place of its own. There is the home that she and Swizz Beatz have named “Dreamland”, but, above all, there are the people who make her feel safe: “But I have two other safe places in the world,” she concludes. “The first is Swizz. With him, I can be completely myself, without fear. The second is my children’s bedroom”.

The November issue also features a story dedicated to Bureau of Imagination, Francesco Risso’s personal project, which he describes as “a manufactory of objects,” as well as an interview with American painter Alex Katz, who, at 99, remains more prolific than ever. Also in the issue, a story on Convivio, the charity market supporting Anlaids Lombardia ETS, which returns to Milan, at Fabbrica del Vapore, from November 5 to 8. For its 17th edition, Convivio introduces a new concept, “Giocare in Casa” (Playing at Home), venturing into the world of interior design and living spaces for the first time; four days dedicated to design, art, fashion, and creativity, celebrating the values of sharing and solidarity.