LAYA is perhaps one of the most creative talents to hit the music scene in recent years. The singer-songwriter has kept us watching her moves since she popped up on our radar in 2022 with her EP Um, Hello. Since then, she’s continued catch our attention with EPs like 2023’s Bet That and her 2024 single “Ain’t Sad About It.” After taking a brief respite, she’s back to turn us on and pick us up with her new single “LUber.”
Playing off the rideshare theme, “LUber” packs quite a bit under its hood. The cut is highly influenced by ’90s R&B, with a sound that automatically brings to mind Timbaland’s work thanks to stuttering snare hits and hard-hitting kicks paired with synths and LAYA’s sweet stacked harmonies. But the driving force here is clearly the singer’s vocal performance.
LAYA gives the cut sex appeal with a sweet and breathy vocal meant to entice and invite. While playing with innuendo and double entendres that relate to rideshares, she lets her suitor know that she knows exactly where he needs to be and how he’s getting there. She sings on the chorus, “I’ll let the facts show (Where you are) / Don′t need my GPS to know (That you are) / Right where you supposed to be / And you′re right on time / ’Cause you′re with me.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a LAYA drop without a wacky and creative visual, and we get just that this time around. The performer puts all her skills to use for the clip, essentially taking on every role in the process except playing the video’s male lead. Though there isn’t necessarily a plot throughline, we do see her flex her delightfully odd sensibilities to give the video a sexy feel alongside some out there choices — including giving a car a cherry red set of lips, placing herself in a steaming hot cup of tea and using a floating car’s headlights to shine a spotlight on her assets. The one-woman show is impressive (and documented on her Instagram page) and shows just how much a determined independent artist can get done.
LAYA is exactly who she thinks she is, and it’s a sheer joy to listen to and watch her evolution. Buckle your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride when you peep the visual below.
