Alicia Keys shocked by Empire State of Mind success

Singer Alicia Keys and Jay-Z"s duet “Empire State of Mind" has become a worldwide hit but the duo is shocked by its success. They thought that the song is 'too New York" and didn"t have a universal appeal but it turned into a huge hit.

“It surprised us all, how well it did. I'll never forget Jay and I were finishing the song and he said, 'Do you think it's too New York?' and I said, 'Kind of, but what else is it going to be?' But it's not about New York, it's about coming from nowhere and being successful. Anyone can relate to it. Just cross out 'New York' and put in the name of wherever you're from and it's relevant," Contactmusic quoted Alicia as saying.

The singer, who has an eight-month-old son, Egypt, with husband Swizz Beatz, earlier said that motherhood has given her a reason to live. “Motherhood is heaven. It's so purposeful and such fun. I feel much wiser in the choices I make. I have a reason in life I never had before," Daily Mail newspaper quoted her as saying. “I suddenly found myself doing tours, TV shows and flying every day. Everyone wanted a piece of me and that was scary. Being from New York, I covered that up," she added.