Pat yourself on the back Oakland. You helped Maxwell gain his confidence back. Maxwell may appear smooth and suave onstage, but he says it's all just an act.
The soul singer says he's actually insecure -- so a concert tour last fall helped boost his confidence about releasing a new album. He played the Paramount Theater in Oakland last November as past of his comeback tour.
"Just the encouragement, you can't imagine," Maxwell said at a reception Tuesday. "I'm an insecure person at best. ... I feel like going on the road, I got so much inspiration."
Maxwell used some of that inspiration to create his latest album, "BLACKsummers'night," due to be released July 7 and marks Maxwell's first album in almost 8 years.
"To have the gift of having people just need me to be onstage ... that was enough for me to make the best album I could make," he added.
Maxwell, best known for hits like "Sumthin' Sumthin"' and "Fortunate," spoke at a reception to celebrate his album's impending release. The album's first single, "Pretty Wings," has been released to radio stations already.
The album is due to be part of a trilogy. The second and third parts are supposed to be released in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
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When asked what kind of reception he expected for the album, he said: "I try not to live by expectations.
"If you just do it with love, the rest will be taken care of."
