Brooklyn Soul Powerhouse Bette Smith Announces New Album ‘Goodthing’ 

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK “GOODTHING” HERE

“GOODTHING” FEATURED AS KCRW’S TODAY'S TOP TUNE 

MERCURY LOUNGE PERFORMANCE JULY 9

 

"Like Betty Davis or Betty Wright before her, she imbues tracks with shingly, sawtoothed texture, capable of breaking off a high note with a throaty cry or scraping so low and wide that she threatens to put her bass player out of work." - BILLBOARD

 

"...the next big-voiced soul sensation out of Brooklyn." - MOJO

 

"Swaggering soulful rock and roll sung with attitude, defiance, and a take-no-prisoners aesthetic." - AMERICAN SONGWRITER

 

(May 8, 2024) Today, Brooklyn born and bred soul artist Bette Smith announces her forthcoming album ‘Goodthing’ with the title track, “Goodthing” - watch the accompanying video here. The new album marries gospel fervor with soul moxie to create something urgent and impossible to ignore. Led by Bette’s earth shaking vocals, the album is deeply personal, accounting stories of resilience and passion through hardship and neglect. Goodthing, slated for release July 12th via Kartel Music Group, the album’s thirteen new, original songs were recorded and produced in London by Grammy-winner Jimmy Hogarth (Amy Winehouse, James Bay, Paulo Nutini, Sia) who attests, “Bette is the real deal. Her delivery is the truth and comes straight from the heart.” 

Bette will play selections from her discography and Goodthing at Mercury Lounge on July 9th.

Bette spoke on the new album saying, "'Goodthing' is a project that is near to my heart. It's a personal album. Each song tells its own story and reflects elements of my life, but together, it forms a full, vivid picture that reveals many of my passions and struggles and successes.But my sincere hope is that the music and words speak to people in their own lives and that listeners can relate on a human level. Most importantly, I just want it to bring joy and comfort and entertainment to people across the board. I am incredibly proud of this album and excited to share it with the world."

Deeply rooted in a family legacy of faith, Bette’s childhood was spent within the sacred halls of her church in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. She draws a lot of her inspiration from the church music and spirituals she grew up with and she still sings in her church choir to this day. The album is partially inspired by Bette’s fraught but loving relationship with her mother, who struggled with bi-polar disorder. Songs from the album including “Eternal Blessings'' and “Darkest Hour” delve into the tribulations of that relationship and others in Bette’s life while “Happiness” and “Beautiful Mess” shed a light on the bright side of her evolution as a daughter and friend. Collectively, Goodthing showcases Bette’s vulnerability and humanity while highlighting her power as a songwriter.

Bette is an artist of immense range, whose electrifying performances pick up the mantle from fellow soul belters (and near-namesakes)  Betty Davis and Betty Wright while also calling on gospel influences Mahalia Jackson and Reverend James Cleveland . Blessed with a voice described as “raspy,” “sassy,” “raunchy” and “sweet ’n soulful,” she has collaborated with the likes of Patterson Hood and Luther Dickinson, and in recent years received acclaim from the New York Times, NPR, Billboard and more.

 

Goodthing Track Listing

1. Goodthing

2.Happiness

3. Eternal Blessings

4. M.O.N.E.Y

5. Neptune

6. Whup 'Em Good

7. Time Goes Slower

8.Darkest Hour

9. More Than A Billionaire

10. Lived And Died A Thousand Times 

11. Beautiful Mess

12. Cave

13. No More Love Songs

 

 

FOR PRESS INQUIRIES:

Lena Wright / lwright@shorefire.com

Matt Hanks / mhanks@shorefire.com