By all accounts, Gerald Levert was extremely excited about "In My Songs," the studio album he wrapped just prior to his death of a heart attack last Nov. 10. The Atlantic Records project arrives this week.

Making the transition from his previous project, 2004's socially conscious "Do I Speak for the World?," Levert refocused on his R&B legacy. "He was excited because he felt this album was something special," Warner Music Group executive VP Kevin Liles tells Billboard. "He told me, 'I want to make sure I deliver, Kev. I'm not an old guy; I'm only 39 and have this voice.'"

The album is also about Levert's arrival at a personal crossroads before his untimely death. That especially comes across on the lead single/title track, a ballad juxtaposes his love of music with love of a special someone.

"Gerald always made personal albums that have been about his experiences," Liles says. "But with this album, I think he really became vulnerable. On 'Songs,' you can tell he missed being loved. Everyone knows his passion for music, but something else was missing in his life. I think this album was therapy for him."