Los Angeles, California - Joss Stone dropped her eighth studio album on Friday, Never Forget My Love. And even though it's been seven years since her last release, the singer shows that she still has more than enough soul to go around.

Nothing hurts worse than your favorite music artist taking what seems like an indefinite hiatus.

There's always that fear that they may never return – or worse, when they do, that they won't be quite the same as when we first fell in love with them.

I imagine fellow fans of Joss Stone have been feeling this pain, since it's been seven long years since her last studio album, Water For Your Soul, was released back in 2015.

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So Stone had a lot to prove with her latest offering, and if you ask me, she absolutely delivers.

The album was announced in November 2021 along with a video for the album's first single and title track, Never Forget My Love. Along with the full album release on Friday, a video for its second single, Oh To Be Loved By You, was also unveiled on YouTube.

The 10-song record clocks in at a bit more than 45 minutes, and is filled with songs of love, loss, and everything in between.

To put it simply, Never Forget My Love is a soul record through and through, and after all these years, she still has what it takes to be one of the best in the game.

Despite being someone who is familiar with Stone's flagship singles, like Right To Be Wrong from her 2004 album Mind Body & Soul and Fell In Love With a Boy from 2003's The Soul Sessions, this is my first experience actually listening to one of her albums from beginning to end.

The most notable thing about Never Forget My Love is how versatile it is in incorporating various genres and styles into its sound.

The opening track, Breaking Each Other's Hearts, sounds like something straight out of a Broadway musical, while the more catchy and soulful You're My Girl is reminiscent of artists like Aretha Franklin, who have always been clear influences on her recognizable timbre.

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The track The Greatest Secret has a bit of a Latin influence that is fun and playful, and the album's closing song When You're In Love has surprising elements of disco and funk.

Stone's unforgettably powerful and rich voice is better than ever, and truly shines because each track stands out as different from the last.

The album may seem a bit all over the place when it comes to its specific style and genre, but not in a bad way where it feels messy or unorganized. It feels meticulously planned and well executed, and certainly leans more towards soul than anything else.

It also stays true to what fans have come to expect from Stone, and what has probably helped her win countless awards and accolades over the years: bringing her fresh flavor to an old school sensibility. And despite her musical hiatus, Stone's new release proves she's back, and anything but old news.

Never Forget My Love, a must-have for any soul, R&B, or jazz lover, is currently in stores and streaming on music platforms.