Vibe magazine’s May Global issue features Alicia Keys as its cover girl, with a pompadour and remarkably different look for the normally ultra-feminine singer. The magazine bills it as Alicia’s first “real” interview, done with her husband Swizz Beatz. The two disclose how they met — and how they didn’t meet 14 years ago when Beatz tried to get her number and failed. He now chalks it up, saying “It wasn’t our time yet.”

(Courtesy of Vibe Magazine)

Keys has been busying herself, creating a new album and getting back into the swing of interacting with her fans. She’s launched an Instagram account to share intimate photos, a Tumblr where she has been curating media of interest from movie trailers to inspirational quotes, and she spent last weekend @ replying to fans for hours on Twitter.

Keys has also been keyed in to this season of The Voice, where her backup singer Jermaine Paul is one of the final contestants under mentor Blake Shelton. Keys Tweeted out her early support for Paul.

Amazing performance! That was so fun to watch #TheVoice

— Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) March 6, 2012

-Courtney E. Smith, CBS Local