Alicia Keys graces the July cover of Marie Claire UK and inside she spills the beans on her marriage with super producer Swizz Beatz.
Keys, who’s currently on the European leg of her “Set the World on Fire” tour, says her impression of Beatz was anything but charming. “Swizz will have the fastest car, the biggest jewelry, the loudest jacket; everything with him is really over the top,” said Keys. “I used to see him and think, he is so annoying.”
Despite their differences in tastes and pace in life, Keys said their love inspired the song, “That’s When I Knew”—a romantic ballad about finding your soulmate from her latest album, Girl on Fire. “[It] is definitely an ode to my husband,” said Keys. “Honestly, I didn’t really like him that much. I thought he was too ostentatious.”
Even though Keys and Beatz appear to have different speeds in life, they’ve been able to teach each other valuable lessons, says the songstress. “I think we’ve taught each other a lot,” said Keys. “He’s taught me to live more fully and I think I’ve taught him to live more deeply.”
Keys and Beatz will celebrate their third wedding anniversary on July 31st.