Leela James is one of the most consistent artists in modern soul music, and she continues to elevate. In 2021, she released one of her best albums with her seventh project See Me, and it appears as if she has another LP in the works. Leela kicks off her next album cycle with the new single “Right Back In It.”
On “Right Back In It,” Leela links back up with Rex Rideout, whose stamp was all over See Me. Here, Rideout returns on production and handles co-writing with Leela and Francesca Richard. As the title suggests, Leela wants that old thing back with an ex and she gets her heart’s desire. For this second time around, their bond is stronger than ever.
“Can’t deny it / Don’t nobody love me better / Don’t nobody give me, (no, no, no) not like you do, not like you do / No one can love me, hold me, take care of me / My heart beats just for you, baby / Oh, you know I’ve been missing you,” Leela professes to her long lost lover on the first verse. Their feelings are clearly mutual as they move forward together. She sweetly sings about their love thing on the chorus, “And we’re right back in it, and it’s on again / And it’s better than, than it’s ever been / Yeah, we’re right back in it, and it’s on again / It feels so right.”
Released in tandem with a music video, the clip borrows its storyline from the 2019 feature film Queen & Slim. Leela takes on Jodie Turner-Smith’s role while her leading man gets his Daniel Kaluuya on. Director Dang Films shows them getting pulled over by the cops at its start, and we see what led up to this harrowing moment in the rest of the visual. The couple is on the run from the law, but they manage to fall deeper in love – and Leela even gets a performance in – while evading capture. At the video’s end, things come full circle to the opening scene, and they surprisingly plot to risk it all before the screen fades to black.
What should come as no surprise is that Leela James does it again with “Right Back In It.” If you’ve ever rekindled a romance with a true love, the sincere lyrics will resonate – the fugitives going on the lam, maybe not so much. Listen to Leela get “Right Back In It” and watch all the action in the visual below.
