With a powerful and suave throwback to the early 2000s R&B sound, Death Row’s latest breakout star October London tells a tale of an addictive fling gone sour on his new single “She Keeps Calling.” 

The unrelenting passion of 90s and 2000s R&B singers has been memed in recent months, as social media users claim that the genre was at its peak when its artists were “singing in the rain during their music videos.” Through an sultry ode to his lover, the Indiana-born singer channels the smooth-talking, sensual ways of the era as he embraces the desires and urges he can no longer ignore.

“She keeps calling me and I go / Although she takes from me, I follow," London wails in the chorus, expressing his unwavering dedication to a woman that might not have the best intentions. The singer reiterates that he doesn’t care about that, and his longing “ohhh” ad-libs and whispery recounts of sneaking to her house suggests that he enjoys the thrilling affair. 

The soft triangle dings, velvety bass track and buttery keys elevate the sensuality of “She Keeps Calling,” taking the staple percussion instruments of 2000s R&B and putting a modern, jazz-fusion spin on them. The song calls back to 2021, when Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak.’s collaborative project, Silk Sonic, reintroduced the soulful, seductive side of the genre back into the mainstream. Still, London wears inspiration from his idol Marvin Gaye on his sleeve through his music, and “She Keeps Calling” signals a rebirth of the sneaky yet authentic passion of the R&B from twenty years ago that he hopes to head. Hopefully, he sings this one in the rain sometime soon.

Listen to October London's "She Keeps Calling" below: