After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, the Serbia-born singer/guitarist commuted from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, where she received 14 chemotherapy treatments. All the while, Popovic and her bassist/musical director Buthel Burns connected via Zoom to pen tunes for “Rise Up,” which will be released in May. A preview of the L.A.-based, award-winning blues star’s 11th album finds her exploring a modern melange of rock, jazz, blues, R&B and pop with a becoming soulfulness and tastefully expressive guitar. Highlights: the bluesy boogie “Strong Taste,” the funk-jazz “Deep Down” and the breezy, horn-soothed, guitar-seasoned ballad “Recipe Is Romance.”