Breaking away from her Empire State of Mind tour, Alicia Keys scored a feature in the December 2013 issue of Marie Claire magazine.

During her Q&A session with the publication, the "Girl on Fire" hitmaker dished about her favorite things away from the stage and revealed why people are always shocked when they first meet her.

Check out GossipCenter's recap of Miss Keys' interview below. For more, be sure to visit Marie Claire!

On her greatest joy:
"My family. I lie in bed with my husband [music producer Swizz Beatz] and son, Egypt, and have little musical moments, which I love."

On her most worn clothing item:
"I have this vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle jacket. When I put it on, it has this super cool feeling to it."

On her ideal dinner party guest list:
"Bono, Sheryl Sandberg, Michelle Obama, Tina Fey, and I wouldn’t mind Chris Rock. Definitely my husband, too."

On her friend's insightful advice:
"A friend once told me that all I need is three chords and the truth to make a great song."

On her most surprised personality trait:
"People don’t expect me to be as funny as I am."