Alicia Keys: I’m a sexy tomboy

Alicia Keys considers herself to be a "sexy tomboy".

The 35-year-old singer has revealed she relishes the gritty side of her upbringing in New York City and has opened up about her perfect date night with her husband Swizz Beatz, with whom she has two children, a five-year-old son called Egypt and an 18-month-old boy called Genesis.

She shared: "My favourite is when we book into this little boutique hotel 20 minutes from our house. We get a tiny room, so we’re all up under each other, then we just cuddle up and order room service, as if we’re hiding from the whole wide world. It’s the best.

"Being from New York has given me all my grit and my stink and my funk, and it’s made me a sexy tomboy. That’s who I am and I love it."

Meanwhile, Alicia also admitted she loves the challenge of raising her children, saying she is a "playful" mother.

She told the Sunday Times newspaper: "I’m on the floor with the trucks and the cars and I’m being a monster and a dinosaur. I love it. Being able to get lost in their imagination is empowering for me, too."

However, the chart-topping star also insisted she is determined to instil a strong work ethic into her children.

She said: "They need to learn that things aren’t just going to happen. I don’t care who you are. You have to put in the work, put in the time."

With so much going on in her life, Alicia said it is important she manages her time sensibly.

She shared: "As I plan the week, the month, whatever, I really work on planning the time we’ll have together. It’s an active thought. And that includes time where it’s us and the kids, and time where it’s just me and my husband."