A Strong, Unguarded India.Arie

“This is for my satisfaction, but I hope you enjoy it, too,” said India.Arie during the mini solo acoustic set that opened her House of Blues performance Monday. The segment featured several new tunes not on her Grammy-nominated debut album, “Acoustic Soul,” and she said that one joyful love song, “Beautiful Surprise,” had never before been played for anyone but friends.

It was a confident move that underscored both the “singer” and the “songwriter” aspects of this fast-rising newcomer, whose music blends unsinkable positivity in pensive-to-upbeat numbers with carefully textured mixtures of R&B;, folk, hip-hop and jazz.

And it showed how well she is handling the inevitable expectations that come with seven nominations in tonight’s Grammys--more than anyone but veterans U2, who have eight--including best new artist, best album and best R&B; album for “Acoustic Soul” and four for her hit “Video,” including best record and song.

Yet Arie, 26, was unguarded enough to charm the room when she hesitated before playing “Beautiful Surprise,” saying, “It’s so new, I’m scared.”

But it proved to be a lovely, spiritual-romantic ode to the right love that reflected her belief in possibilities.

The also-fresh “India’s Song” captured another facet of Arie’s interests, wending its way through historical musings on racism to arrive at her own ruminations about making a difference.

“Spirit knows no color,” she sang. Indeed, although the tunes played by Arie and her deft sextet often touched on African American concerns, the lyrics emphasized universal themes of self-acceptance, honesty, sacrifice and, of course, sweet love.

Name-checking her influences in song, she seemed so mindful of history that it might have weighed her down. On the contrary: After the self-possessed artist giddily announced that veteran singer-songwriter Bill Withers was in the house, for instance, she then wove his “Just the Two of Us” around her own “Promises,” even bringing her mom out for a quick bit of vocalizing.

Among Arie’s many impressive qualities, however, her determined self-expression was the most compelling. It may sound simple to say things such as “love yourself,” but these days we just don’t hear it enough from people who mean it. Besides, she’s found fresh ways of saying old stuff, and isn’t that what we’re all looking for?