In the six years since she’s released any new music, songstress Tamia has been busy raising her two young daughters and working with the charitable foundation she runs with husband Grant Hill. Though she didn’t originally intend to take nearly half a decade off of work, she says it prepared her for her next steps.

“I never actually set to take four [or five] years off,” says Tamia. “Life happens and things sort of get rolling. And something just happens where you feel like, ‘Ok, now I feel like I have things running enough to where [it’s a good time to begin recording again].”

Her fifth studio album, Beautiful Surprise, is in stores now. The title is especially appropriate given the unexpected nature of its creation. First, there’s the fact that she was supposed to do only one song with mega-songwriter Claude Kelly but she ended up doing virtually the whole album with him. And then there's unusual decision to remake country superstar Wynona Judd’s “Is It Over Yet?” And the clincher is when she had some unexpected, extra studio time in Nashville and wound up recording a country-tinged remake of her own 2004 song “Still.”

“There were so many things have been so many beautiful surprises on this project,” says the Canadian-born artist. “It came about very organically, that’s why I wanted to title the album that.”

Hill is excited about her comeback album and hopes it takes her fans on a mental journey.  “I want you to experience every emotion when you listen to my project,” she says. “Happiness, sometimes sadness. I want you to reflect sometimes on what’s going on in your life. It’s a roller coaster, but it’s a good ride.”

The Canada-native teamed up with several music heavyweights to complete the album, including popular production-duo, the Runners and mega-producer, Chuck Harmony. The singer is also soon to hit the road with her new sound, but couldn’t yet divulge all the sexy details.

“I do have some good touring news that I can’t talk about,” she says. “It’s going to be exciting! Stay tuned.”