Respecta.is - The Ultimate Hip Hop Portal

“When you get by yourself sometimes, the dirt will speak to you,” says Wray, a gardening enthusiast who grows flowers and vegetables when she's not cooking and painting. “Playing in the dirt is therapeutic for me.”

The musical fruits of those garden talks are revealed on Queen Alone. The bountiful mix of contemporary R&B and ‘60s/’70s retro soul will be released Sept. 23 through Big Crown Records. Leading the way is the triumphant brass, guitar and drum-driven “Do It Again” about a faltering relationship that’s still hanging on. Wray, who first gained national attention as Missy Elliott protégé Nicole Wray, originally wrote the track for soul singer Lee Fields.

“I had written so many records,” recalls Wray. “We came back and listened to the demo again. I put new music and instrumentation behind it then we decided to keep this one.”