Artist: Layla
Title: Room for Three
Genre(s): Pop
Length: 3:23
Writers: L.Sanchez, C.Flores
Producer: BLOOM
Label: Five Pesky Kids
From The Album: TBC
Room for Three is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Layla. It serves as the lead single from her upcoming, yet-to-be-titled second studio album which is due for release later this year. The song was released on February 23rd, 2023 after being announced by Sanchez across her social media accounts two days prior. It marks her first release since 2021's "Miami Smooth", the fourth and final single lifted from her debut album, "Feel No Fear". Like her more recent release, "Room for Three" was also written by Layla alongside Cristian Flores, aka 'BLOOM', who handled the production as well. The track was conceptualised and completed in January 2023 with Layla insisting on a swift release to eliminate any "stagnation" that may befall the new project. "Room for Three" moves away from the happier, contented lyricism witnessed on previous single "Miami Smooth" and has drawn comparison to her biggest hit "Forbidden Honey" as they share the subject of forbidden love. Lyrically, the track sees Layla pine over a once potential love interest who is now taken. She admits to feeling so desperate that she considers settling for being a "third" in the relationship despite that not even being an option presented. Although she realises her thoughts and feelings are irrational, she chooses not to walk away from the situation.
"Room for Three" is a mid-tempo, guitar and synth-laden pop track with an anthemic, powerful chorus with revealing, confessional lyrics. Many critics have noted that the production of the song is not too dissimilar to the work heard on her debut album, calling it a "natural progression". Sanchez stated that she wanted the track to have a "bombastic" and "uplifting" rise in the chorus not only to combat the overall darker tone of the lyrics, but to reflect the "euphoria", "delusion" and "outer body experience" she feels while around the off-limits love interest in the song. The lyrical content in "Room for Three" garnered immediate fan and media attention and speculation, with many theorising that the song is about ex-lover and fellow musician, Joshua Grimmie. While the song is implicit and even strays away from gender-specific pronouns, many believe that the lyrics are a nod towards Grimmie's relationship with Dae Ho Park as she still remains friends with Joshua to this day. Others have dismissed the Grimmie rumours as the song states that Sanchez and this mystery person never dated in the first place. Layla herself has not revealed who the song is specifically about, however, did admit that these feelings are now behind her.
Layla wrote:"I remember getting a few raised eyebrows when I came to my team and told them that I not only want to put this song out but have it as my leading single for this new project. I can understand that! It's a little abrasive in parts, the whole subject matter is kinda...well, it's not Radio Disney friendly! I know that this isn't going to sit well universally and yes, I'm probably not showing myself in the best light on this track but I'm ok with that. One thing I want is to be totally honest in my music and with my supporters. This happened to me and yeah, it was crazy and it sure sucked! I look back at that time and think; "Wow, you were going through it, girl. You needed a hug. Those wheels were coming off, sweetie!". It's a screwed up situation but I found myself in it and I know I'm not the only one. It hurt. It like physically hurt. The pangs I would get were just crushing. Those unreciprocated feelings? It took a lot out of me!"
"Thankfully, that's all in the past now. I was so consumed and infatuated with this person that I just wasn't myself. I was just constantly thinking about them and even though I knew it wasn't rational and some of the thoughts I had in my head were downright horrible at times, I couldn't shake it. Now that I have clarity, I think it's good to process and address it. It frightened me at one point. Then I sat with it all bottled up. I analysed it and now I'm letting it go, freeing myself and just letting those feelings dissipate out there in the ether. It's not a conventional song choice but it reflects what my music, and this album specifically, is all about - sitting in those emotions, getting to know your mind and heart, and embracing everything that makes us human, flaws and all. I think that for most of us, we're always right in our version of events. We never want to admit that we were the wrong party. I think that being TRULY honest with ourselves and taking responsibility only makes us stronger. That's something I'm definitely trying to do more these days; be honest with myself."
Critical reception of "Room for Three" has been positive thus far.
ThatMusicSite exclusively reviewed the song a day prior to release calling it a
"huge, biting pop song" before dubbing it as a
"warts and all villainous banger with balls you can't help but admire". Cassandra Peake of
Vulture called it
"honest, angsty, with a dash of heart-breaking thrown in for good measure". Barry Hendry of
The Guardian stated in their review that
"spending time in the company of friends and industry giants Ellie-Grace Summers and Ryan Ross Hernandez has paid off for Sanchez and her artistry. She paints confessional, no holds barred pictures within her music that you can't help but be captivated by regardless of how morally questionable her content may be." He concluded his review by calling Layla
"a bona fide pop star in her own right" and claimed
"the pristine, fluffy and perfect days of SYNCO are long gone". For
Nylon, Julie Greene described the song as
"a wondrous, big pop ditty for those with tears in their eyes, clutching their third glass of wine" before rounding off her review by dubbing Layla
"the Queen of moral dilemmas".
"ROOM FOR THREE"Any room for me?
Any room for three?You went official day after Valentine's
The roses on your story should've been mine
And I know that it was nothing personal
It's not like we had anything physical
But did a part of you really want me to see?
A test or just a way to excuse this jealousy?
Just my luck to stumble into this mess
A contradiction but I wish you the best
The rational part says I should give you some space
Yet I'm still hanging 'round, yeah, just in case
Foaming at the mouth at the chance of a crumb
Wrapped around your fingers, slid under the thumb
I'm losing all pride and sanity
I'm hoping you've got room for three
Hang on to every word of our conversations
Not like every syllable's a new complication
Would be simpler with just you and me
But I wonder if there's room for three?Kicking my silly little self for playing it coy
Now I have to settle for friends with my favorite boy
Can't lie, I'm grateful that you keep me around
But it's so pathetic how I'm still holding out
Another post and, yeah, you both look so cute
No disrespect but I'm zooming in on you
Swear that I don't wanna see anyone hurting
Ironic coming from the vulture that's circling
Dizzy from all the delusions inside my head
Dragged my heels, I'm the one who made this bed
Foaming at the mouth at the chance of a crumb
Wrapped around your fingers, slid under the thumb
I'm losing all pride and sanity
I'm hoping you've got room for three
Hang on to every word of our conversations
Not like every syllable's a new complication
Would be simpler with just you and me
But I wonder if there's room for three?Looks to me like I will never learn
Maybe I get off on getting hurt?
Maybe I just want something for myself?
Living vicariously through everybody else?
I understand that this isn't practical
Doesn't stop me from curving logical
This girl will never learn
This girl will never learn
This girl will never learn
Foaming at the mouth at the chance of a crumb
Wrapped around your fingers, slid under the thumb
I'm losing all pride and sanity
I'm hoping you've got room for three
Hang on to every word of our conversations
Not like every syllable's a new complication
Would be simpler with just you and me
But I wonder if there's room for three?Foaming at the mouth at the chance of a crumb
Wrapped around your fingers, slid under the thumb
I'm losing all pride and sanity
I'm hoping you've got room for three
Hang on to every word of our conversations
Not like every syllable's a new complication
Would be simpler with just you and me
But I wonder if there's room for three?Lying to myself with a warped narration
As if we'll be unscathed from the twisted serration
Mental gymnastics on this damn summation
Trying to change the answer of the calculation
Yeah, uh
I wish this could equate to just you plus me
But I wonder if there's room for three?
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