Leela James is planning a bank heist in the official music video for her freshly released single “Thought U Knew.”
In the visual directed by Dang Films, James and her partner are pulled over by the police. Although it’s unclear what their offense was, the video jumps three months ahead to show the pair sleeping with one eye open, on high alert for possible danger.
James plans to escape town by changing her appearance and recruiting a gang of female robbers, inspired by the 1996 cult classic Set It Off. Her crew consists of Syleena Johnson, Avery*Sunshine, and Medusa.
“Thought U Knew” is the title track and second release from James’ upcoming album, scheduled to be released Oct. 27 through BMG. The track was produced by James’ long-term collaborator Rex Rideout, who also produced the album’s lead single, “Right Back In It.”
Regarding the latter track, James said, “My music is my art and I’m always excited to share my craft with the world. ‘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.”
Currently, “Right Back In It” holds the No. 13 position on the Adult R&B Airplay chart published by Billboard. Meanwhile, it’s No. 14 at R&B radio.
Thought U Knew follows James’ 2021 album, See Me, released on BMG. It included singles such as “You’re the One” and “Complicated.” The latter was released as the album’s lead single and reached the No. 1 spot on the Adult R&B chart.
See Me was included in Rated R&B’s 30 Best R&B Albums of 2021 list.
Listen to “Thought U Knew” by Leela James and watch the official video below.