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The new year has arrived and new music is rolling out in full force including the comeback of an R&B giant. Jill Scott first burst onto the scene in 2000 with her iconic album Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1<\/em><\/a> <\/em>which helped usher in a new sound to the genre and was followed by two more volumes. Now, more than ten years since her last record, she is back and ready to gift us with some new tunes that are sure to add some sunshine to the cold winter days ahead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s something grounding about a new Jill Scott recording arriving at this moment. Rather than being a disrupter in the music industry, her music feels like a comfort. Jilly from Philly (as Beyonc\u00e9 lovingly referred to her as in the \u201cQueens Remix\u201d<\/a> of \u201cBreak My Soul\u201d) has always sung from her soul, using lived experience and emotional intelligence to get her message across. That\u2019s what the genre is about, not chasing algorithms and playlist adds, but instead it\u2019s music that is rooted in the church, poetry slams and late-night conversations that turn into confessions. Jill\u2019s type of R&B has always been somewhat confessional while still introspective and adoringly positive. Her music has served as inspiration to countless artists throughout the last 25 years, and her Verzuz battle<\/a> with Erykah Badu back in 2020 was a prime example of that. Rihanna, Adele and Christina Aguilera were just some<\/a> of the names who were in the comments gagging over the two ladies. Christina in particular has been open about how Jill\u2019s first album was a key influence for her 2002 Stripped <\/em>album. Just take a listen to \u201cLovin\u2019 Me 4 Me\u201d<\/a> and tell me that doesn\u2019t have Jill Scott\u2019s \u201cA Long Walk\u201d<\/a> written all over it. Two and a half decades later, Jill still has that same joy in her music and her latest single \u201cBeautiful People\u201d continues her legacy of inspiring generations of singers. Now, we just need that new Erykah Badu record to arrive because if Jill can come back after a decade, nothing should be stopping my girl from doing the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next week, Gen Alpha is getting a treat as The Kid LAROI is releasing his new album which is expected to include a multitude of tracks about his breakup with Tate McRae. Whether anyone over 15 years old will be able to enjoy the music is another question. This week along with new music from Jill Scott we have new releases by Doechii and SZA, Nick Jonas, KATSEYE, Geolier and 50 Cent, plus a viral pick from Djo.<\/p>\n Listen on\u2026<\/p>\n MC\u2019s PICKS OF THE WEEK<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBeautiful People\u201d by Jill Scott<\/strong><\/p>\n For her first musical release in over a decade, Jill Scott is keeping things light and free with the breezy new single \u201cBeautiful People\u201d. The single highlights the different people in all shapes and sizes that hold a special place in her world, the ones who make her want to \u201cshine in the night like a star\u201d<\/em>. Her brand of neo-soul has been integral to R&B over the last 25 years, and with this new music she is showing that the time away from the studio hasn\u2019t left her rusty in the least. She\u2019s got just the same amount of shine that she did when she was living life like it\u2019s golden<\/a>. The melody has a 70s Marvin Gaye<\/a> quality to it while still keeping her individuality like only Jilly from Philly could do. I\u2019ve always felt like Jill\u2019s music is a form of medicine for the soul, you can\u2019t possibly be in a bad mood when you hear it and it almost certainly will lift you up even if just for the 3:48 duration of the track. \u201cBeautiful People\u201d is the first single from Jill\u2019s upcoming sixth studio album To Whom This May Concern <\/em>which drops on February 13th<\/sup>, just in time for Valentine\u2019s Day for all the lovers out there. She also just completed filming Tyler Perry\u2019s Why Did I Get Married Again?, <\/em>the third film in the Why Did I Get Married? <\/em>franchise where she reprises her role as Sheila. The film is expected to come to Netflix later this year and majority of its original cast is returning with the exception of queen Janet Jackson, but it seems that Jill is ready to hold the baton as the triple threat of the cast. New music and a new film means it\u2019ll be a great 2026 for Jill Scott and all her fans.<\/p>\n