New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Staten Island R&B sensation LAYA shares the music video for her new single "Need 2 Know." It remains a fan favorite from her acclaimed Bet That EP-out now via Warner Records. The clip channels MTV's nineties heyday with its classic grainy television sets and white backdrop. Clad in all leather, LAYA addresses a lover from the screen and face-to-face in a series of intense and emotionally charged vignettes.
As always, she exudes nothing but attitude as she smokes a cigarette with flames engulfing the entire frame by the end of the visual.
Next week, she takes the stage at Nova 3 for a very special Los Angeles show on October 6.
Beyond gaining traction at DSPs, Bet That has earned widespread critical acclaim. NPR plugged it on "New Music Friday: The best releases out on Sept. 1," while Vibe raved, "The seven-track project is a confident flex that proves LAYA is in charge of her world and isn't budging one bit on that matter."
UPROXX professed, "LAYA is as confident as ever and the ruler of her own world, and despite this unapologetic attitude, there are moments when she is also vulnerable which makes for a great body of work altogether."
"Need 2 Know" stands bold alongside LAYA's 2022 viral hit "Sailor Moon 2.0" with Baby Tate and her sultry cover of Missy Elliott's "Sock It 2 Me" for Amazon Music's Women's History Month campaign. After a breakthrough 2022, which included her debut EP Um, Hello, LAYA proves she's here to stay. You can Bet That... watch the new music video below:
LAYA's boundless creativity is born from a desire to push herself. The Staten Island-born artist has worked as a singer, songwriter, producer, creative director, and visual artist—constantly shifting forms and acquiring skills, because, for her, that's what growth looks like. Her vibrant yet vulnerable take on R&B and pop offers up a unique perspective on life and love, powered by a need for newness.
Her debut EP, Um Hello, showcased her slinky 90s-indebted vocals, echoing gently as she flexes what she's accomplished so far. Growing up around musical theater and visual art, LAYA's love of performance began in her childhood.
But over time her musical energies focused and crystallized, leading her to the nostalgic, yet forward-looking sound resonating with fans today. Her 2020 breakout, "Sailor Moon," showcased that visionary approach and broadcast her auteur status, and was later remixed into "Sailor Moon 2.0" feat. Baby Tate.
In addition to writing the song, LAYA also shot, directed, and edited the visuals, on top of doing her own hair, makeup, and wardrobe—all skill sets that remain core to her work today, culminating in her latest project, BET THAT. A permutation but not a departure from her R&B soul, the highly anticipated Bet That presents a thrilling explosion of her artistry. The inclination to constantly create has given her a leg up, in terms of achieving her past, present, and future ambitions.
"Everything that I've gotten to this point, I've worked for and made happen," LAYA says. "It didn't exist yesterday, but it exists today." And clearly, tomorrow.
