Maxwell may appear smooth and suave onstage, but he says it's all just an act.
The soul singer says he's actually insecure — so a concert tour last fall helped boost his confidence about releasing a new album.
"Just the encouragement, you can't imagine," Maxwell said at a reception Tuesday. "I'm an insecure person at best. ... I feel like going on the road, I got so much inspiration."
Maxwell used some of that inspiration to create his latest album, "BLACKsummers'night," due to be released July 7 and marks Maxwell's first album in almost 8 years.
"To have the gift of having people just need me to be onstage ... that was enough for me to make the best album I could make," he added.
Maxwell, best known for hits like "Sumthin' Sumthin'" and "Fortunate," spoke at a reception to celebrate his album's impending release. The album's first single, "Pretty Wings," has been released to radio stations already.
The album is due to be part of a trilogy. The second and third parts are supposed to be released in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
When asked what kind of reception he expected for the album, he said: "I try not to live by expectations.
"If you just do it with love, the rest will be taken care of."
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Copyright 2009  AP News
