Leela James (born June 2, 1983) is an African American soul singer. James cites legendary singers James Brown, Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples and Stevie Wonder as her influences. Her deep, rich and, gritty vocals have drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Tina Turner. Biography James? debut album, entitled A Change Is Gonna Come, was released on June 21 2005. The album was conceived as a throwback to an earlier era of American soul music, building upon the legacy of 1960s and 1970s soul singers while incorporating elements of contemporary R&B, funk, and gospel. In the lyrics to the album?s lead single, entitled ?Music,? James laments the current state of contemporary popular music. She condemns the glorification of materialism and misogyny that has often been attributed to the lyrical content of contemporary R&B and hip hop songs while pleading for the retur

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