Leela James hits a major career milestone this year. She’ll celebrate 20 years of her debut album A Change Is Gonna Come in June. But before she marks that occasion, the songstress is back to serve up some fresh soul food with her new single “Right On Time,” and she’s returning to the concert stage, too, with a full slate of tour dates.
Like our girl Ledisi, Leela links with frequent collaborator Rex Rideout on production. He lays down a relaxing instrumental of bass, synth and drums that allows James to let her soul glow. Rideout also shares co-writing credit with the singer, Ethan Ridings and Francesca Richard. Together, the team crafts a song that is right on time for all the lovers and dreamers.
“Something that you told me / Found a way straight to my heart / It feels just like you’ve known me / From another life, worlds apart,” Leela muses in the first verse. She’s caught off guard by this person and this love, but her senses are awakened and she’s all in. She continues, “’Cause you put that fire in me / That burning desire in me / And I ain’t used to feeling like this / But your love runs so deep.”
You see, Leela was ready to throw in the towel on relationships, but love makes things happen. “The way you give good love to me is right on time / And I was just about to give on up, but you came right on time / I was done, I was cool, fed up / But you came and you showed right up,” she rejoices on the chorus.
“Right On Time” is Leela’s first single of 2025 and follows her lone 2024 release, the remix of “Whatcha Done Now” featuring Kenyon Dixon. This new song appears to be the kickoff track ushering in her next album cycle on the heels of her 2023 set Thought U Knew.
Leela James will take her new single and beloved catalog with her on tour starting this month. The songstress has plans to make stops in her hometown of Los Angeles, Napa, Honolulu, Milwaukee and more cities with a mix of concerts and music festivals. This tour is in addition to Leela joining Maxwell on select dates of his upcoming The Serenade 2025 Tour. After you listen to and fall in love with “Right On Time,” view Leela’s spring and summer 2025 tour dates below and visit her website for links to purchase tickets.
Leela James 2025 Tour dates:
May 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Mother’s Day Music Festival
May 30 – Napa, CA – Blue Note Napa (2 shows)
May 31 – Napa, CA – Blue Note Napa (2 shows)
June 7 – Birmingham, AL – Steel City Smooth Jazz Fest 2025
June 11 – Honolulu, HI – Blue Note Hawaii (2 shows)
June 12 – Honolulu, HI – Blue Note Hawaii (2 shows)
June 14 – Hilton Head, SC – TBA
June 21 – Shreveport, LA – Let The Good Times Roll Festival
June 27 – Matteson, IL – TBA
June 28 – Jackson, MS – TBA
July 31 – Milwaukee, WI – Miller High Life Theatre
August 1 – Portland, OR – Vanport Jazz Festival
August 2 – Boise, ID – TBA
September 12 – Little Rock, AR – TBA
September 13 – St. Louis, MO – Music At The Intersection 2025
September 14 – Indianapolis, IN – TBA
September 20 – Mableton, GA – Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre
