Lavaud Levels Up With Drill-R&B Statement ‘Change Clothes’

Lavaud returns with “Change Clothes,” a drill-R&B hybrid that pairs East London steel with polished, global R&B sensibilities. Produced by Trakmatik and Hvstle, the track sits on hypnotic drum programming and a dark low-end, leaving space for stacked harmonies and a lead vocal that toggles between poise and bite. Lyrically, the hook flips a simple phrase into a clear boundary-setting stance: reclaim your energy, leave on your own terms, and guard your self-worth. Pardison Fontaine’s guest verse complements that framing rather than overshadowing it, bringing brisk wordplay and a measured confidence that snaps neatly into the groove. The accompanying video extends the song’s mood rather than reinterpreting it, sleek, performance-driven visuals that keep attention on delivery, chemistry and cadence.

Context matters here. Lavaud arrives with a developing catalogue that has already travelled, fan-favourite cuts like “Roll On Me” and “3AM In London,” editorial support across major platforms, and airplay from Apple Music 1, iHeart Radio, BBC 1Xtra and Capital Xtra. The headline numbers (20-plus million streams, a Billboard-charting single, a US Top 20 Urban Radio entry) suggest an audience that spans scene and format, but “Change Clothes” is less a bid for ubiquity than a tightening of aesthetic focus. The production’s economy—uncluttered percussion, unhurried bass movement—puts responsibility on vocal arrangement and writing to carry nuance. That choice suits Lavaud’s range: she can push for sheen when needed, but here she leans into conversational phrasing and a hook designed for quick recall without crowding the pocket.

There’s also continuity with her backstory. Raised in Hackney with Mauritian roots, Lavaud often threads island rhythms and R&B through a pop-aware lens; her debut EP King Vaud established that instinct with collaborators across the Afrobeats and R&B map. “Change Clothes” doesn’t abandon that palette so much as streamline it for a drill tempo, using the genre’s percussive insistence to underline themes of agency and calm defiance. As a prelude to a sophomore project slated for 2026, it reads like a chapter marker: a concise, well-scoped single that tests how far her voice and writing can travel inside a leaner, harder frame—without losing the melodic sensibility that brought listeners in.

Watch the video for “Change Clothes” here