Alicia Keys is showing some love to her Sicilian roots, and she’s doing it on the cover of Vogue Italia. The 17-time Grammy winner fronts the magazine’s November 2026 issue, where she gets personal about her heritage, growing up in New York City, and her 16-year marriage to Swizz Beatz. She’s also got some new music coming, and this time, her husband is along for the ride.
Photographed by Szilveszter Makó, Keys’ cover follows her appearance at Vogue World: Milano, where she performed Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” inside the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. For the occasion, she wore a custom Francesco Risso creation featuring repurposed fabrics and a hand-painted train. But beyond the fashion, the trip gave Keys an opportunity to reconnect with a part of her identity that goes back generations.
Born Alicia Augello Cook, the Hell’s Kitchen native has Sicilian ancestry, something she discussed at length with Vogue Italia. Although she didn’t spend much time visiting Italy growing up, Keys said the connection has always been there.
“I feel a connection with Italy that goes beyond reason; it’s a genetic, spiritual connection,” she explained. “It’s a wonderful country, but what makes it unique are the people who live there.”
Keys recalled visiting a small restaurant in southern Italy, where she met a woman who spoke no English. Although she didn’t speak Italian, the singer immediately recognized something familiar.
“When I looked at her, I saw my aunt, I saw my mother,” she said. “Italy is humanity.”
The cover story isn’t all family history, either. Keys and Swizz Beatz revealed they’re working on Lovers Rose, their first joint album, featuring seven tracks inspired by R&B, Chicano soul, Latin musical traditions, and lowrider culture. The project, expected in early 2027, marks another creative partnership for the couple, who have been married since 2010.
And apparently, Swizz had to work for that relationship.
The producer recalled meeting Keys in high school, when a mutual friend suggested they make music together. He asked for her number, but she wasn’t interested. Sixteen years of marriage and two sons later, things clearly worked out differently.
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