(CBS) If you haven't yet heard of Abenaa, that will soon change.

The Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter's debut album, "Tuesday's Child," is a critical success and has already spawned a top 30 single in "Song 4 U."

In this week's Second Cup Caf?, Abenaa performs "Song 4 U'" and another "Tuesday's Child" track, "Rain."

The West African native got her start writing for such stars as Vanessa Williams and Kim Stockwood, but was soon writing for herself.

Abenaa describes her sound as urban folk or alternative soul. Mostly, she says, it's honest.

Her influences include such artists Roberta Flack, Bob Marley, Sting and Joanie Mitchell.

"Tuesday's Child," says Abenaa, is personal in nature and there's a lot of growth, love, life, pain in it. The album is filled with lots of emotions we all have. It's a lot of living, she observes.

Abenaa explains that her name is Ashanti (a tribe in Ghana). She was born on a Tuesday. The loose translation is a female child born on Tuesday.