Bright times ahead for Jill Scott

And personally, there has been a great deal of change, including a divorce, a brief engagement, the addition of her son, and the subtraction of about 60 pounds.

Musically, it has been four years since the Grammy winner’s last release, “The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3,’’ so her new album’s rise caught even Scott by surprise.

“I was like, ‘What? Wow!’ ’’ she says with a chuckle over the phone from Philadelphia, of her reaction to the Billboard news. “I’m still reeling. I guess I’ve been missed a little bit.’’

It’s not like she hasn’t been busy. Professionally, she branched further out in her acting career, starring in the HBO adaptation of the popular mystery novel series “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,’’ and the 2007 Tyler Perry film “Why Did I Get Married’’ and its 2010 sequel. She also parted ways with her former record label, Hidden Beach, and aligned her own imprint - Blues Babe Records - with Warner Brothers.

The 39-year-old took all of those experiences into the studio and poured them into the album’s disparate tracks. Covering the emotional spectrum one might expect from navigating all of the above, Scott recorded something both deeply personal but also eminently relatable, especially for female fans who cherish her tell-it-like-it-is-with-a-poetic-twist style.

“When I step back and look at it, I go ‘Oh boy, what did I just say?,’ ’’ says Scott, her girlish voice giving way to a giggle. “This particular record I didn’t really think about what I was going to say or even how I was going to say it, it just happened. And I really enjoyed the whole process of it.’’