Postponed sine die the new album by Erykah Badu, a collaborative project with The Alchemist initially scheduled for August 29 and finally not published for unknown reasons, another of the queens of neo-soul has finally detailed her return after 11 years of recording silence. Jill Scott, much loved for her collaborations with Questlove as well as solo classics like ‘Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1’ (2000), has announced that her next album, ‘To Whom This May Concern’, will be released on February 13.
The album is presented with a cover full of symbolism, designed by the artist Marcellus, and includes collaborations with prominent names in current rap such as Tierra Whack or JID. Its first preview, ‘Beautiful People’, connects directly with the sensitivity of the Soulquarian universe of the 2000s, evoking figures like Maxwell, Badu herself or D’Angelo, who sadly passed away a few months ago.
An exquisite mix of silky harmonies, deep bass lines and funk guitar licks sets the pulse of ‘Beautiful People’, a terrain on which Jill Scott builds a true mantra dedicated to those “beautiful people” who “share” and “care” for others. The song – produced by Om’Mas Keith – breathes a – for lack of a better word – humanistic philosophy: “Our love is greater than time or race; our love is rhythm and charm, it resonates throughout space, it fills everything,” Scott sings. Musically and spiritually, ‘Beautiful People conveys a sense of deep and comforting peace. Maybe just what we need?
