After several delays, Stevie Wonder's new studio album, "A Time 2 Love," is expected to be out in April via Motown.

"As an artist, you get anxious and excited -- you want to show what you can do," Wonder tells Billboard in an exclusive interview for the Dec. 11 issue, on newsstands today (Dec. 3). "But for me, I had to make a real decision not to rush. I wasn't feeling that the timing is right. A lot of what I do when I do an album is based on whether the timing is right."

"A Time 2 Love" will be Wonder's first studio set since 1995's "Conversation Peace," which debuted at No. 16 on The Billboard 200. "I didn't mean for that to happen," he says of the amount of time that elapsed between projects. "On the other hand, it wasn't a panic-mode situation, either, where we've got to do this or we're going to have a problem up in here."

The set will be a single-disc affair, although Wonder says, "in these nine years I've done more than just the songs that will be on the album. And it's going good. In these nine years I've found the songs that feel most comfortable for me."

Among the tracks earmarked for the set are "If the Creek Don't Rise" ("something I wrote a while back that I recently revisited," Wonder says) and "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved," the latter of which features live instrumentation by Wonder and several guest spots.

"I have myself playing, some symphony musicians from [Los Angeles] and Doug E. Fresh doing a little beat-box thing," he reveals. "I also have a female talking-drum player from Nigeria. And we're going to have the West Los Angeles choir sing. I'm going to record the choir at the church."

After "Time" is released, Wonder says he has "three immediate goals": a "jazz album with harmonica," a gospel album and a musical.

As previously reported, the artist will receive the Century Award, Billboard's highest honor for creative achievement, Wednesday (Dec. 8) at the Billboard Music Awards. Several artists, including Diana Ross and Mary J. Blige, will be on hand to salute Wonder during the event, which will air live on Fox.

The full text of the Wonder interview is available to Billboard.com subscribers after 3 p.m. ET today. For information about ordering a copy of the issue, click here.


-- Gail Mitchell, L.A.

http://www.billboard.com/...onder3.gif

is this old news or something? i figured everybody would jump for joy...

Not old news - it just gets delayed soooo much... I don't know whether to believe it...

But, Doug E. Fresh??? LOL...

It would be nice if Prince had a cameo role in an instrumental way (guitar or keyboards on just one track - nothing big).

Cool!

this has been delayed since 01

im not jumping up for joy until its actually in stores

well at least we have some official news. I think what Stevie really needs to do is release his own outtake compilation. I refrain from saying "his own crystal ball" because I would rather have stevie give us a collection of all killer songs, rather than a sprawling yet highly uneven mess the way his royal badness did.

Yawn. I love him but his day has come and gone.

pkidwell said:

You could say the same thing about ANY artist who has been around for more than 20 years.In fact,many people say the exact same thing about Prince,but does that stop you from supporting him?

We'll see.

sosgemini said:

Probably from 1972.


To be released in 2014.


To be released in 2054.


To be released in 3158.

DavidEye said:

pkidwell said:

Check your avatar.

oh, i see. Stevie is pulling an Elton John. badmouthing other artists when he's got an album ready to drop (like a stone).

jacktheimprovident said:

I would go crazy over a compilation of his outtakes

Marrk said:

So let's see what the tracklist may look like.Here are the songs that we know about...


"If The Creek Don't Rise"
"If Your Love Cannot Be Moved"
"A Time 2 Love" (let's assume there will be a title track)
"What The Fuss" (performed on Oprah,I think EnVogue does backup vocals?)


On 'Oprah',there was also a lovely duet that Stevie performed with his daughter,does anyone recall the title?