Betty Wright: The Movie by Betty Wright + The Roots

*The Movie* is the first solo release since 2001 for Betty Wright, a soul legend who scored her first hit in 1968. Despite the span between albums, Wright has been very much in the game over the past decade, working with younger artists like Joss Stone, Kelly Clarkson, Angie Stone, and others. Backed by the rock-solid Roots, the songs (all cowritten by Wright) successfully blend vintage and modern soul from the funky jams of “Old Songs” and “Look Around (Be a Man)” to the simmering, sultry cuts “Surrender,” “Tonight Again,” and “One.” The two tracks featuring Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne, with whom she’s previously worked, split the difference with subtle hip-hop touches, and the duets with Joss Stone (“Whisper in the Wind”) and Lenny Williams (“Baby Come Back”) truly shine. Throughout the album, Wright’s voice sounds incredible. It remains versatile and expressive, and she can still hit all the notes with confidence and style. It can be tough for a seasoned performer to appeal to old and new fans alike, but Wright, with considerable help from The Roots, pulls it off.

Betty Wright: The Movie is this Miami soul legend’s first album since 2001’s Fit for a King, but it’s hardly a return.

5 / 10

Betty Wright begins her latest album, Betty Wright: The Movie, with a song titled “Old Songs”.