Richmond, Virginia native Jane Handcock has been the industry’s best kept secret for years, logging in studio time with stars like Raphael Saadiq and writing for the likes of Kelly Rowland, Tyrese and Teddy Riley. It’s her time to shine now, though, and she’s doing so with the aid of Snoop Dogg’s newly reformed Death Row Records. After offering her mixtape World Of Women exclusively to the NFT crowd last year, she’s bringing it to the masses on streaming services on Friday, January 20th. But first, she gives us a preview with the single “Layin Next To Me.”
“Layin Next To Me” is a sultry and smooth number on which Jane lets her lover know that she is where he wants to be. With a looped piano and programmed drums keeping a mid-tempo pace, the singer states her case. “You should be here layin’ next to me / Phone off, do not disturb / Just me and you,” she sings on the chorus. “We both know you should be here layin’ next to me / The sky is blue and roses red / I mean every word I said.”
The track manages to be very overtly sexual without coming off as crass, which is a talent with material that is so sexually charged. What primarily sells it, though, is the simple sultriness of Jane’s vocal. It’s sweet yet filled with a yearning that is palpable throughout the song’s three-minute runtime.
We don’t know about y’all, but Jane Handcock has got us open with this one. Stream “Layin Next To Me” and then check out the track’s steamy visualizer when you head below.
