The golden-throated Queen of Neo-Soul is back with 'Unexpected,' her second long player for the rejuvenated Stax label. In an exclusive interview with Black Sheep, the gospel-raised singer-turned-actress tells Charles Waring how she's become immune to criticism and how her new recording was born from personal tragedy.

Given the impeccable body of work she's created, Angie Stone has endured more than her fair share of personal flak since she released her solo debut album, 'Black Diamond,' in 1999 – mind you, it's not the music critics that have been hurling brickbats at the 48-year-old former member of the pioneering rap group The Sequence. Rather, according to the South Carolina R&B star, it's mainly bitchy internet bloggers and message board moaners who've been critical of her attitude, image and lifestyle, as she reveals in a candid transatlantic phone conversation.

"I've had my character portrayed as D'Angelo's woman, Miss Brown Sugar and Miss Daisy Mama," laments Stone. "I've had to endure ridicule over the Internet based on the choices that I have made in life in terms of the men I date. It's got me to a place where I realise that no matter how good or bad you are people are going to talk; they're going to point their fingers no matter what you do." Stone's stinging riposte to all the negativity created by the naysayers is the song 'I Don't Care' on her new album, 'Unexpected.' Says Stone: "It stands for a place where I've been for the last 12 years but now I just don't care anymore what they think or say because I know who I am and I know who I belong to. I belong to God: I'm a child of God. So they can say what they want."

Stone's newfound attitude came with a high price – her father's death. Halfway through making her new album, he died suddenly. It made her stop and take stock of her life. "In a way it made me work ten times harder but more than that, it just really changed my perception on things in general, which is why I wrote the song 'Think Sometimes' – we take so many things for granted, especially life. My dad, in my opinion, was one of the most realistic people that I knew and he always used to make sure that I looked out for myself. He felt my heart was big and I was always trying to take care of the world but he told me I couldn't and I really needed to focus on me and my children."

The CD's title not only refers to the suddenness of her father's death but also to new musical vistas she's decided to explore. "I wanted to do an album that encompassed all the years I have been in the industry and some of the avenues and different genres of music paths I've crossed," explains Stone. "The album was called 'Unexpected' because it wasn't going to be just your typical neo-soul album. I was going to diversify in the material that I chose to do."

Certainly, some Stone fans will probably be surprised by some of the cuts on offer, which range from retro-hued funk (the title track, which samples Sly & The Family Stone's 'Family Affair') to catchy cutting-edge R&B ('I Ain't Hearin' You'). There's also a striking slice of vocoderised dance floor electronica called 'Tell Me,' which Stone says was inspired by Stateside rapper and producer, T. Pain, whose notoriety in the music business rests with his extensive use of a studio pitch correction device known as Auto-Tune. "I did that as paying homage to T. Pain because I think T. Pain maximised the Auto-Tune and made it work to his favour, even though he was catching a lot of flak behind it. But I think that we should be supportive of each other. I used Auto-Tune to show that I'm a singer and if I choose to do it just to have fun I should be allowed to do it without any criticism."

Despite experimenting with different styles this time around, Stone's forte is soulful ballads and there are plenty of those on 'Unexpected' to satisfy her fans. One of them, a sensual slow jam called 'Kiss Me All Over,' features a cameo from an impressive young male singer with an expressive, ultra-soul voice. Says Stone: "There was a young man who was working with a producer, named Sly, who had an uncanny resemblance to Ronald Isley. We just put him on the song on the spur of the moment and we had so much fun doing it. And I think he's incredible."

The album also features significant input from Stone's long time collaborator, Juanita Wynn. "I think she's one of the best writers in the industry," says the singer. "I've worked on the last three projects with Juanita. This time it was just she and I – we kind of let go of the original team that we used in producing tracks and got with a new producer. She was the main ingredient that I kept from the last project. She co-writes and is an exceptional vocal arranger and we complement each other. She and I worked together feverishly on this project."

Although 'Unexpected' is only Stone's fifth solo studio album, amazingly she's been in the music business for four decades, beginning with the female rap group, The Sequence, in 1980 and then with the soul group, Vertical Hold, in the early '90s. She's understandably proud of her longevity: "The highlight of my career is 30 years plus in the business and being still so relevant. People are still interested even though the climate of the industry has changed somewhat."

Given her experience, does she have some nuggets of wisdom for aspiring performers? "I would just say stay focused on the prize at the end of the day," says the singer. "Home in on your craft, modify what it is you're trying to do and stick with it."

'Unexpected' is released in February on Stax Records. Angie Stone arrives in the UK in March 2010 to perform in Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London.