Leela James has joined forces with fellow R&B sanger Kenyon Dixon for a remix of her latest single, “Whatcha Done Now.”
On the tender ballad, produced by Rex Rideout, James and Dixon exchange verses about an unexpected love that feels so magical.
“You know the right things to do / And all the right things to say / You seem so perfect for me, baby / I’m not used to feeling this way,” Dixon sings in a new verse.
Speaking on her new collaboration, Leela James tells Rated R&B, “Kenyon added another layer of seasoning sauce to the Soul of this record and it made for the perfect soulful R&B recipe.”
Dixon adds, “Man, this song is special—it’s like that old-school soul with a fresh twist. It’s all about finding love when you least expect it, and I think a lot of people are gonna feel that.”
The original version of “Whatcha Done Now” appears on James’ 2023 album, Thought U Knew. At the time of publication, the heartwarming tune is in its peak position at No. 7 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart in its 18th week.
Thought U Knew included the singles “Thought U Knew” and “Right Back In It.” The latter was a top 10 hit on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.
“‘Right Back In It’ is special as it highlights the importance of getting back to yourself, getting back to love, and getting back to what makes you feel good,” James explained.
Thought U Knew was featured on Rated R&B’s 25 Best R&B Albums of 2023 list. “James said the title track represents ‘the importance of getting back to yourself,’ and the album itself, Thought U Knew, succeeds by giving audiences an honest view through the lens of a realized woman,” wrote Edward Dave.
Dixon’s album, The R&B You Love, was also highlighted on the list. Antwane Folk described the album as “an intentional, well-crafted listen that takes a deep dive into key eras of one of the most beloved genres.”
Following his 2023 album, Dixon dropped a two-part EP series inspired by the project. In March, he released the first installment, The R&B You Love: Soul of the ’70s.
The EP included soul-stirring tunes like “Never Gonna Give You Up” and “Can I Have This Groove,” plus a couple of the album’s original tracks, including the Grammy-nominated “Lucky.”
“Soul of the ’70s is all about that feeling of love and just groove overall. I’ve always felt deeply connected to that era of music on a soul level. So I felt like this effort was inevitable,” Dixon explained to Rated R&B.
On Aug. 9, Dixon released The R&B You Love: For the ’99 and the 2000s, which included “Far Away” and the Jodeci-inspired “Brand New.”
Regarding For the ’99 and the 2000s, Dixon told Rated R&B, “This project is the final installment to The R&B You Love series. It’s my ode to the R&B that has inspired us all throughout the years. My main goal with everything related to this series was just to remind everybody that the feeling didn’t die. There is, still, and will always be a space for the R&B that we love.”
Stream Leela James and Kenyon Dixon’s “Watcha Done Now (Remix)” below.