Leela James is gearing up to release her anticipated sixth album Did It For Love, which is coming in just over a month. On Valentine's Day, the strong-voiced songstress revealed the set's artwork and tracklist, teasing the gems that were to come. Now, we have the second single release from the album, "Hard For Me," on which Leela continues to give us soulful ruminations on love.
This mid-tempo number finds our girl Leela ready for love. However, it seems the object of her affections isn't quite there yet, putting obstacles in the way of her giving love freely. "The more I give you, the more you want in return," she begins over the slightly bluesy backdrop. "I try to show you love, but you don't wanna learn." From there, she repeats a simple plea on the chorus: "Don't make it hard for me / I just want to love you / Let me love you." The sheer simplicity of the request resonates, especially with Leela taming her bigger-than-life voice to a whisper, at once making the plea feel even more intimate and sincere. Also working for the song is the interplay between the music and the more quiet moments, giving the listener a sense of the push and pull that Leela describes in the lyrics.
While Leela might be having a hard go on "Hard For Me," it won't be hard at all for listeners to love it. Give it a spin right here and mark your calendars for Did It For Love's release on March 31st.
