Mixing uptown elegance with downtown swagger, Shakura S’Aida wears her Soul Queen crown with assurance on her sophomore release Brown Sugar. Years of stage and film work have honed the Toronto-based S’Aida’s interpretive skills to a fine edge; this time out, she displays yet another facet of her talents by co-writing most of the album’s songs with guitarist Donna Grantis. In these tracks, she wraps her rich, sultry tones around smart, assertive lyrics that manage to avoid clichés even as they adhere to R&B conventions. S’Aide asserts a strong presence in smoldering numbers like “Mr. Right” and “Walk Out That Door,” then delivers some gospel-tinged testimony in the piano-centered ballad “Angels On High.” “Outskirts Of Memphis,” “Missing The Good And The Bad” and a cover of Betty Davis’ “Anti Love Song” take her deep into steamy blues terrain. The showstopper here is “This Is Not a Love Song,” an anguished breakup number of almost frightening intensity. S’Aida benefits from the adept playing of her backup group, with Grantis’ B.B. King-like guitar leads adding extra bite.