"I just want to sing."

That heartfelt declaration pinpoints the core essence of LaKisha Jones. Best known to millions of TV viewers as a top four finalist during the 2007 season of "American Idol," the singer is ready to reclaim center stage--this time with her first solo album. "So Glad I'm Me" on Elite Music, LLC debuts May 19.

"Singing makes me feel good," says the Flint, Michigan native. "It's the food for my soul and gets me through each day and night. If I touch just one person who can relate to what I'm singing, then I've done my job. Music is my ministry."

"So Glad I'm Me" resonates from start to finish, propelled by Jones' expressive, full-bodied vocals. It's the same arresting voice that electrified "American Idol" viewers with the "Dreamgirls" showstopper "And I Am Telling You" and later commanded the Broadway stage in Oprah Winfrey's Tony Award-winning musical "The Color Purple." Whether Jones is delivering a gut-tugging ballad, a beat-infused party jam or a spiritual uplift, her voice never loses its soul-stirring fervor.

Leading the charge on the album's spirited mix of R&B and soul is first single "Let's Go Celebrate." The song percolates with an understated, hand-clapping groove that's part ladies night jam and part spiritual release. "My life has been a blessing/No need for me to be stressing/My attitude is changing/I'll never be the same again ... Because tonight is the night and let's go celebrate."

Helping Jones craft her musical message were hit-making songwriter/producers Tony Nicholas (Patti LaBelle, Gerald Levert, Luther Vandross), Ro & Sauce (Brandy, Ne-Yo), Greg Curtis (Keyshia Cole, Yolanda Adams) and Chris Black (Yolanda Evans). Another album standout is "Beautiful Girl," a soaring ballad that extols Jones' loving commitment to her six-year-old daughter.