Jill Scott is back with a whole new album; her first in 10 years!

The three-time Grammy winner is releasing “To Whom This May Concern,” her sixth studio album, on Friday, Feb. 13 via The Orchard. The first single, “Beautiful People” is already out. The record is billed as an offering about connection, collective home and humanity, and the timing is divine. Scott just celebrated the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough album “Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1.”

The album’s guest list and producers are a who’s who of modern soul and hip hop: Ab-Soul, J.I.D., Tierra Whack, and Too $hort appear on features, while Adam Blackstone, Om’Mas Keith, DJ Premier, Andre Harris, and Trombone Shorty are among the producers. Visually, Scott tapped acclaimed artist Marcellus for the album artwork, which inspired the album’s emotional palette. 

Scott recently appeared on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast and reflected on the hard lessons that feed her art. “It’s like all the lessons that you get, all the things that deter you are really the impetus for your greatness,” she told hosts. “Nobody’s perfect. And I’m divorced twice.” She also referenced deep financial setbacks, saying bluntly, “I’ve lost more money than people have ever made or ever will, multiple times.” 

That vulnerability and those admissions all give context to an album described as medicine and magic. According to the album’s press release, “To Whom This May Concern” reflects Scott’s grit and grace, grounded in her lifelong commitment to inspire, uplift, and remind us that sometimes the most powerful magic is simply showing up with love, truth, and with a song in heart.

Scott’s music has always folded her life into her art. Her first marriage to Lyzel Williams was the inspiration behind her 2000 song "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat).” Her debut in that same year helped solidify the spoken-word inflected neo-soul sound of the era, and later LPs like “Beautifully Human” and “The Light of the Sun” reinforced her reputation as a storyteller who blends poetry, vocal nuance, a tenderness and a roughness — both offering comfort. 

Listeners can expect more of the same, but renewed on “To Whom This May Concern.” Jilly from Philly is an artist who turns her experiences (from survival to joy and everything in between) into craft. This new album promises to be an offering leaning heavily into the power of connectivity, humanity, and collective home. Scott is shaping a project that’s as much about communal repair as it is about individual truth. Will you be listening on Feb. 13?