Paola la Uníca’s “I Need You” Is a Sensual R&B Daydream You’ll Want on Repeat

Some songs hit you in the chest. Others hit you in the hips. Paola la Uníca’s latest release, “I Need You,” does both, and then some.

This New Jersey-based R&B/pop soul artist isn’t new to the scene, but she’s leveling up with this one. “I Need You” is soaked in classic R&B energy: smooth, vibey, and lowkey addictive. It’s the kind of track you throw on at golden hour when you’re tipsy off life, or maybe something more substantial, and completely wrapped up in the presence of someone who makes time stop.

Paola sets the scene at a beach party, and you can feel it: warm breeze, music in the air, and the kind of slow-motion glance across the crowd that turns into a full-body obsession. The beat sways, the vocals glide, and her delivery is equal parts vulnerable and bold. She sounds like someone who knows she’s catching feelings and isn’t afraid to say it.

It’s not desperate. It’s not overproduced. It’s real. That feeling of wanting someone so much it buzzes in your skin? Yeah, that’s “I Need You.” And just like Paola’s influences, Frank Ocean, Amy Winehouse, and Kali Uchis, she blends raw emotion with undeniable groove.

There’s something playful and deeply human about it. The sensuality isn’t performative; it’s embodied. This is joy, desire, and longing wrapped in a three-minute vibe that demands you dance... and maybe text someone you swore you wouldn’t.

Paola’s music has always been about more than the beat. She’s carved a lane that’s rooted in emotion, culture, and truth. “I Need You” just happens to be the sexy, sun-drenched side of that truth.

What inspired the beach party setting for "I Need You," and was it based on a real moment?

This song started in the studio. One Day, my friend and I were creating a beat together. He made the beat in like 10 minutes. He's a genius. The moment I heard the guitar and drums, I was reminded of summer. I started imagining where I would want to be listening to something like that. I started thinking about a girl I was into at the time, and I wanted to write something romantic.

He put in the "I Need You" vocal, and I stuck on the topic of what it feels like to love someone so much that it feels like you need them. What does it feel like to need them? It's a fun song, and I wanted to keep the vibes lighter than my other songs. I just wanted it to feel like summer. The beat made me feel like I was at the beach dancing with a girl I am in love with. So the beach party setting I imagined just helped me bring the song to life.

How do you channel vulnerability into sensuality without losing authenticity in your songwriting?

Without vulnerability, there is no authenticity to me. The songs I write may not always be 100% actual events, but the emotions are real. A real emotion drives every song I write and sing.

Sensuality to me is poetry. Poetry makes you feel like you're there. Like you are witnessing or experiencing the events being written about. That's what I strive for in my music. I want people not only to listen, but to feel it. I want to take people on a journey with me.

You blend so many genres. How do you decide which sound a song will live in?

I let the music guide me. I just go with whatever feels honest to me. If I connect with the beat or strum something that resonates with me on guitar, that's the leading force driving my decision. It can change when I write something first and find a beat that matches.

Then the writing decides the beat, but usually, if someone is playing a beat or I'm making a beat with someone, the sound just lives where it belongs—nothing too thoughtful about it; more so the feelings and energy that help me decide.

What does queerness mean to you in the context of your music and storytelling?

Queerness to me means representation and living in my truth as an artist. I love women. My romantic relationships significantly influence my art, so queerness just goes hand in hand with it. My experience as a queer person, regardless of romance, is a big part of my story. It affects my non-romantic relationships and my mental health.

My queerness is a part of my experience, and I think the fact that I have so much pride in that, I want people who aren't as comfortable in their skin or sexuality to feel safer being themselves. Helping other people feel confident in loving whoever they want. When we share our story, it helps other people not feel so alone. So I use my queerness as something to connect over, hoping it reaches the people who need to hear what I have to say.

If "I Need You" had a music video, what would the perfect visual vibe be?

It would be a big beach party in Miami or Puerto Rico. I would have some close-ups of me and the love interest. Some solo shots. Lots of dancing. Just people looking like they're having a great time.