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At the age of 19, singer Lumidee’s smash hit “Never Leave You (Uh Oh)” could be heard blasting over radios across the country, propelling the Puerto Rican beauty to newfound Hip Hop R&B heights. It’s four years later and Lumidee has returned with a new album, a new record label, a new sound, and a new and wiser state of mind. With the release of Unexpected, the Spanish Harlem songstress is eager to prove she’s no one hit wonder. Don’t call it a comeback, call it a homecoming.

How old were you when you caught an interest in singing?

I’ve always love to do it. I started taking it more seriously when I was 14. I started writing poetry and then I started writing songs, then I started taking the singing thing more seriously. In Junior High School I was always rapping but I was never really doing the singing thing until I started writing songs and then I got more into it because I had my own material.

At that age, you were diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. How did that affect you?

It definitely slowed me down. I couldn’t do much. I had home instruction for three years of high school. I was basically stuck in my house so that’s when I started writing poetry and writing down my feelings of what I was going through and that’s what got me into writing the songs. As far as me building on my career, it was a good thing.

Did you feel you missed out on high school life?

I made it to the last year of high school. I wanted to graduate from a real high school; I didn’t want to walk down my living room. I enjoyed that last year more than anything because it’s the only high school experience I had. At least I got to graduate and I was actually the prom queen.

Does it still affect you?

Yeah, it’s a joint disease so I have it in all of my joints. People don’t really see it in young people but now a lot more young people are getting diagnosed with it.

It’s been four years since your debut album. What have you been up to?

I was signed in 2003 and in 2004 I left the label and basically went on my own because things weren’t going on in my best interest. I was touring overseas still. It was looking a lot better for me over there than here. I did this one song called “Sientelo”. It was a reggae song with an artist named Speedy and it was released overseas and it did really, really well. It sold more than a million copies. I started getting different offers and that’s how I landed my second deal, an overseas deal. I started releasing music over there and kept myself busy. I didn’t ever stop doing the music. Wherever it was taking me, I went. I went to the Middle East, Africa, everywhere.

What was that like?

It was crazy. Like, I’m back here in the states doing the promotion for the album and it feels almost like I’m not doing anything because I got so used to picking up and going. Now, I get to be home.

Where was the most interesting place you traveled to?

Iceland. They have two or three hours of night and the rest is daytime. It’s two in the morning and it’s still light out. It was interesting to see.

What are we going to get from Unexpected?

It’s a whole other level for me. I’ve grown a lot more. Before, I was doing one type of music. I feel, by me traveling to all of those different places, I’ve seen it’s a bigger world out there and now it’s like world music. I’ve got a little bit of everything in there. You may not like the first thing but you’ll skip to the next track and you’ll feel that one. It’s all still me. I’m really happy with the album.

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

My favorite track is “Did You Imagine.” It’s not like I feel it’s a big hit or anything like that, but personally it’s my favorite because of the feeling of it. When I hear it, it gives me a happy feeling. The whole feel, the vibe of the record, I just love it and I think other people will feel that way about it too.

What would you like people to know about you?

That I really, really, really always wanted to do music and it’s not a gimmick. From the “Uh Oh” song, a lot of people got confused because it was a catchy song. They didn’t hear anything after that. They thought I was a gimmick. Music is something that’s been in my life forever.

What is one thing you can’t live without?

Lip gloss. I’m obsessed with it. I have a crazy collection of chapstick and lip gloss. I can’t live without it.