Layla Rey continues to build a catalog that refuses easy categorization. Across three standout singles — “Still I Rise,” “If I…,” and “Miss You Bad” — the half-Black, half-Filipino R&B pop artist demonstrates a deliberate range, moving between reclamation, vulnerability, and collaboration without losing the throughline that defines her work.

“Still I Rise” marks a departure in tempo and texture from her slower R&B offerings. The track blends pop and EDM influences into something kinetic and forward-moving. “Still I rise / Step by step I claim my life,” Layla Rey sings over production that trades velvet grooves for rhythmic urgency. It’s a different gear entirely with more pulse and more stepping through.

“If I…” takes a different approach, accompanied by a music video that grounds romantic longing in the everyday. The visual centers Layla Rey amid ordinary scenes — couples dancing, friends drinking — while she directs the song’s central question toward someone specific: “If I said you were the one for me, would you stay?” Grounding the visual in ordinary moments strips away distance, letting the emotion sit right next to the viewer.

On “Miss You Bad,” Layla Rey opens the door to collaboration without sacrificing her center of gravity. Brownchild‘s verse slots in cleanly, matching her restraint. Soft guitar, gradual build, controlled delivery — the track works because both artists commit to the same emotional register.

Taken together, these tracks sketch an artist operating with intention. Layla Rey draws from the lineage of Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Kehlani while navigating contemporary R&B’s expectations on her own terms.