Laila!

Laila! crafts airy bedroom R&B as a singer, songwriter, and producer, blending semi-rapped vocals with potent melodic hooks. The Brooklyn-based artist capitalized on the online traction of her 2023 single “Like That!” by issuing the 2024 EP IN CTRL! and the subsequent track “Not My Problem.”

Laila Smith, born and raised in Brooklyn, absorbed the work of R&B icons Aaliyah, Brandy, and Whitney Houston while beginning to compose songs in childhood. As the global pandemic arrived and high school commenced, Smith took up beat-making and self-recording. She soon forged a distinctive approach that merged contemporary bedroom production, hip-hop components, and R&B vocals positioned between Brandy and SZA. “Like That!” stood out for its refined arrangement, rapped verses, and indelible chorus, propelling the track to the Top 20 of the TikTok chart. At just 17, Laila! followed swiftly with “Whassup,” then unveiled her debut EP, IN CTRL!, in early 2024. Cuts such as “SOFT SERVE” and “80 in a 55” highlighted her command of understated, atmospheric instrumentals paired with assured vocals. “Not My Problem” and “Flyer Than U” surfaced later in the year as Laila! advanced toward her first full-length project.