Billy Porter hits the dance floor on his fifth album with the goal of ‘trying to heal people’

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Billy Porter is strutting off in an entirely new sonic direction on his fifth album. The Broadway, runway and TV star has pivoted to dance music. “Black Mona Lisa” sees Porter embrace club, house and old-school disco over 12 tracks, creating a warm, welcoming space that showcases his voice and redemption story. The bright album stands in stark relief to his 1997 debut, his self-titled R&B collection, which largely languished despite his Tony-winning voice on stage in “Kinky Boots,” his Emmy-winning pathos on “Pose” and Met Gala attitude.