You can’t exactly tell from his youthful look, buttery croon and playful demeanor, but Donell Jones is a certified veteran in the music game. With gold and platinum-selling CDs in his catalog and an enviable arsenal of pop and R&B hits (“Where I Wanna Be,” “You Know That I love You,” “Love Like This” and his signature take on the Stevie Wonder classic, “Knocks Me Off My Feet“), Mr. Jones has been a favorite for nearly 20 years and has no plans of slowing that roll anytime soon.

With his latest album, Forever, Donell takes a different approach from his last CD, 2010′s Lyrics, by confessing the contents of his heart rather than living vicariously through scenarios and situations.

In an exclusive chat with Knowshi, the now 40-year singer, songwriter and producer breaks it down from his home base of Atlanta about the motivation behind his new sound, what that milestone birthday meant and the ‘first’ that the Forever record accomplishes that no other urban entertainer has up to this point.

Knowshi- Glad to have you back Donell, the CD sounds as smooth as usual and we’re glad to have you in the mix again.

DONELL JONES- That’s what’s up! I got some really great fans that have stuck with me from day one. I really appreciate that, it’s made me feel welcome and that’s beautiful.

Knowshi: Your new CD, FOREVER, is number 7. How do you keep the sounds from overlapping or getting weary of the process?

DJ: To be honest with you, every one of my albums represents a time in my life so, it’s really just about whatever I’m going through right then, That’s why it can still sound so fresh. Every moment is new.

Knowshi: How would you describe what makes 2010s’ LYRICS and your new album FOREVER so different from one another?

DJ: A lot of of the songs that I write come from personal experiences, but a lot of them have elements of fiction in them too. But this album doesn’t really have a lot of that; Lyrics was talking about cheating, kicking in somebody’s back door and all that kind of stuff, and this new one is about love and respect, finding that someone.

Knowshi: Because of your recent engagement, I take it?

DJ: It’s a natural evolution and that life change, I would say. For many years, I really didn’t think I was that type of man [to settle down], but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really found someone who’s very special to me and I just wanted to profess my love for her. Love is just a beautiful thing, and I express that through the outlet of my music.

Knowshi: Congratulations! Have you set a date yet?

DJ: Not as of yet, but even when it happens, it won’t be a thing [a ceremony] that will be really, really big, it will be just about…..(click here to read the rest of the chat)