I'm selfish when it comes to music. I have this crazy idea in my head that once I like an artist, I feel like I own them. And no, not in the submissive "do what I say" kind of way. More in the sense that we have made such a connection that somehow you have become my personal friend in my head and we speak regularly through the music you put out. So when an artist that I adore takes a long time to share with me, I feel like I'm that nagging friend that is like "why you no wanna hang out no more? Why you no love me?" Seems ridiculous, however, it's how I relate. I do not do this with every artist. In fact, it is really only a select few that are able to draw that side out of me. The connection between their words and my ears resonates so much that it is very hard to ignore. So I'd rather keep their words locked in my special place and cherish them as if they were my own. Jill Scott has the ability to do this to me. Why? Because with every song she sings and every note she hits, you can feel exactly the message that she is trying to convey. Each project she has put out has had the same track record with me. The Light Of The Sun is no different. In fact, because it has been so long since we've last heard from her, I feel a deeper connection because so much has happened in between this time.

If it is one thing that no one can deny, Scott is truly "Blessed". In the intro song to her album, Scott outlines that despite her daily challenges, she is still far better than she was before. Talking about the love from her parents, to the birth of her beautiful son, to rekindling her love with the studio shows her growth and maturity over the last 3 years. I truly enjoyed this album from beginning to end. Her first single, "Shame" featuring Eve and The A Group, if I'm honest, had to grow on me. It wasn't what I first expected to hear from her as a "comeback" song... so to speak. However, once it grew on me, I found myself singing it in the morning. This Special Ed tribute has actually found its way into the ears of many and is quite enjoyable if you take the track for the fun that is represents. As she croons "what you so scared for/I'm just a woman/maybe I got it all together like you think/maybe I do/ 'cause yo I'm fresh and cool..." is a statement of new found confidence. Every situation that Scott presents throughout this album is reflected in that one line. She's not the same. She's learned and grown and is carrying that banner high. I appreciate her willingness to be transparent in tracks such as "Quick" when she talks about her relationship with her son's father. Her candid approach to"So Gone" featuring Paul Wall was a little different for me. This may be partly due to the fact that I'm not used to her having features on her album, much less a southern rapper. While it was a little unexpected, it was pleasant addition to the overall project. Scott still finds a way to be herself even when she changes her style. Other songs that continue to showcase the Scott that we all know and love are "Until Then", "Missing You", and "Some Other Time". The other part to note is that Scott went completely "in" with her poetry on this album. She has devoted herself to showcasing all of her talents, which continues to put her as a top artist in my book. "Womanifesto" is a poem about the appreciation of self beyond the physical. When she spits "thick...not just from bone dense and eat...I have a rhythm in my ways and a practice in my seek..." you feel a sense of assurance that we may not have seen in Scott before. It's a different kind of buoyancy. One that recognizes the strength of a woman and how she is "indeed the shit..clearly..not just an ass..."

On a personal note, Scott found a way to make me shed a tear in her letter to God. In her song, "Hear My Call," we find the vulnerability of our beloved sister as she struggles to determine if the moves she is making in her life are correct. "God, please here my call/I am afraid for me/Love has burned me raw/I need your healing/please." In the moment where you feel like you have nothing left and you've given all of yourself to your situation, it is emotionally and mentally draining trying to find your next move. I appreciate her ability to share this moment with us and show us that she is indeed human.

Not everyone is able to shine as bright. Amongst all of the negativity, her necessary hiatus from public eye, transitioning into single parenthood, changing labels, and finding her newness, Jill Scott has managed to keep her glow. The Light Of The Sun is a reflection of this. I don't ever think she will get dim. Not even sure she knows how.