Alicia Keys Covers Essence Talks About Love

“Falling in love is such a force, but this is a whole other level of magic…” –Alicia Keys

For the past decade, Grammy-winning songstress and Harlem native Alicia Keys has been riding a wave of unbroken success. Now, the princess of soul is set to release the tenth anniversary deluxe and collector’s editions of her first album, “Songs in A Minor,” due out this month.

But when a woman falls in love — really in love — well, that kind of love is hard to hide. Here, she opens up to ESSENCE about music, motherhood… and the man who has her heart:

“Falling in love is such a force, but this is a whole other level of magic.”

“I was very closed for a long time. But I feel so open now. To feel open like this means you’ve found the center in yourself. You’re not hiding; you’re not worried about anything. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

On dedicating a song to her mom:

“In the past, I’ve written mostly from my own perspective. But I just wrote a song for my next album that was inspired by a conversation I had with a man who was expressing how indebted he feels to God. He said, ‘I owe God.’ Now, what an interesting thought. And as much as I believe in God, for me that translated into how much I owe my mother for who I am. So I went home and I wrote I Owe You. It’s dedicated to her…”

Now that is sweet!

Also, Alicia looks a bit different in these photos, either she’s used too much Botox or Essence has used too much air brushing or both?