Let ‘The Sun’ shine in

Album of the week

JILL SCOTT

“The Light of the Sun”

3 1/2 STARS

She’s a best-selling poet and has appeared in movies and on TV, but Jill Scott is tops when she’s at the mike. One spin of this Philadelphia native’s terrific new soul record makes you wish she was less distracted by side projects that have kept her out of the studio for five years. Every one of the 14 songs of “The Light of the Sun” — and even its lone spoken word poem, “Womanifesto” — makes you think of the words strong and soulful.

The collection starts on a high note with “Blessed,” with Jilly from Philly sashaying between R&B and hip-hop. It has a surprisingly gentle melody, almost a lullaby, accompanied by lyrics in which Scott tallies up what’s right about her life, such as her 2-year- old son. Uplifting, it sets the stage for other like-minded tunes that brim with grown-up themes.

The three L’s — love, longing and loss — dominate the album. And Scott manages to get all three into the slinky R&B syncopation of “Le BOOM Vent Suite.” It’s a musically complex piece, set in three parts, that smolders with both passion and pride and stands as the record’s peak. The other standout is the breakup song “All Cried Out (Redux),” on which hip-hop vet Doug E. Fresh propels her vocals with his formidable human-beatbox skills.

Download of the week

PITBULL

“Shake Señora”

3 STARS

Latin rapper Armando “Pitbull” Perez tests the world-music waters on his new English-speaking album, “Planet Pit,” with the rap/reggae/calypso tune “Shake Señora.” This number is a limbo dance-party waiting to happen, with Pit getting vocal support from T-Pain as well as Jamaican superstar Sean Paul. Pitbull, whose barking rap often sounds dangerous, is playful on this one, as he instructs his dance partner to “Step in the line, shake your body with mine . . . move that a – – like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” Bottom line: This celebration of the culo in motion ranks right behind Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”