Leela James has never been afraid to bare her soul.
With her new project, 2BHONEST, the powerhouse R&B and soul singer goes further than ever before, peeling back layers of vulnerability to reveal raw, unfiltered and deeply human music.
“Being too honest means I’m putting it all out there,” James said at her EP listening party in Houston. “These are the stories, the emotions, the struggles that shaped me. Some of it was hard to share, but I knew I had to.”
Since emerging in the early 2000s, James has built a career on a timeless foundation, a voice that can shake the room with power one moment and whisper heartbreak the next. Across albums and stages, she’s carved her lane as an artist unwilling to compromise her sound for trends.
2BHONEST, however, marks a turning point. While the project retains the grit and soul fans expect, James pushes into more personal territory.
“This time, I wasn’t worried about what people thought R&B should sound like,” she explained. “I wanted it to sound like me, completely.”
The EP’s title track lays out the project’s mission statement. James sings of love tested, truths revealed and the beauty of embracing imperfections. She described it as both confessional and liberating.
“There’s always a risk in being vulnerable,” she said. “But I realized the real risk was holding back. If I’m going to sing about life, I write from my heart and my soul.”
One of the project’s standout tracks is “Right on Time,” which she admitted was “very personal.” She believes it will resonate most with listeners.
“I’ve gone about my life being very impatient and trying to rush things in my own time,” she said. “And it never worked out.”
The landscape of R&B has shifted dramatically over the years. For a long time, the discourse about whether the genre is dying off never bothered James. She respects evolution but hopes her fans will take the time to listen to the hidden gems of R&B that don’t get enough recognition in mainstream media.
“Trends come and go, but soul is forever,” she said firmly. “When you turn on the local radio stations, you’re going to hear the same one or two artists over and over again. You’ve just got to go beyond that. If you’re basing where music is with what you hear on the radio, there is so much you’re going to miss out.”
James’ fans, who have grown alongside her over the past two decades, are central to that connection. Kim C. is a supporter who came to James’ listening session in Houston. She called the new project “classic Leela with a sharper edge.”
“This is the kind of sound we need to hear more of these days,” she said. “It will never go out of style.”
With each release, James strengthens her reputation as one of R&B’s most consistent and authentic voices. She shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, 2BHONEST proves she’s still willing to take risks.
“This is true and authentic. There’s not a lot of bells and whistles,” James said. “I’m not trying to sound like nobody. I’m not trying to do anything like nobody else. I’m trying to do me and be soulful.”
