"This album is like pages from my diary," explained R&B vocalist Brooke Valentine, describing her forthcoming album Forever. "Instead of writing it down, I sing it."

The album is her first since 2005's Chain Letter, which included her best-known single "Girlfight". Even with the success of the track, Brooke was unafraid to take somewhat of a break from music afterward and spend time with her son London. While other artists might have been worried about staying on the radar, her priorities have always been "Just to be real, to be honest, to be myself, to not turn into anybody else or be i...