Sophia James is officially entering a new chapter — and, fittingly, she’s doing it at 65 miles per hour.
The LA-based singer-songwriter has announced her new EP, Sleepwalking at 65MPH, arriving November 6, while simultaneously giving fans another taste of the project with her latest single, “Never Write a Love Song Again.”
The six-track EP finds James continuing to lean into the clever lyricism, raw emotion and genre-blurring sound that have become staples of her music, while exploring the complicated (and sometimes downright absurd) realities of love, heartbreak and everything in between.
When Celeb Secrets caught up with James on the red carpet at the 2026 MTV VMAs in Los Angeles on September 27, she opened up about the inspiration behind the project’s unusual title, revealing that it came from a moment when she felt like she was simply trying to keep up with her own life.
“I just thought it encapsulated the kind of absurdity of the EP and of my life at the time while writing it,” James explained. “Right now feels like I’m sleepwalking at 65 miles per hour.”
That sense of controlled chaos seems to run throughout the project — and perhaps nowhere more clearly than on “Never Write a Love Song Again.” The new single was inspired by the aftermath of a breakup James experienced earlier this year, made even more complicated by the fact that she was simultaneously promoting “Ryan,” a song she had written about that same relationship while still deeply in love.
“Immediately after a life-altering breakup earlier this year, I found myself promoting a song that I had written early in the relationship about how absurdly in love with him I was,” James shared in a statement. “It was a bucket of salt on the fresh wound.”
That experience ultimately inspired James to write the tongue-in-cheek yet deeply personal “Never Write a Love Song Again,” turning one of the messier moments of her life into another piece of her musical story.
“I’d heard all the warnings from wiser songwriters about the gamble of immortalizing lovers in your music,” she continued. “You either end up with them and forever carry a song that reminds you of them, or you split up and forever carry a song that reminds you of them. I rolled the dice anyway. I wrote ‘Never Write a Love Song Again’ after losing the bet.”
The new track follows “Ryan,” which quickly became a fan favorite after its release earlier this summer, and “Finish What You Started,” released last month. When we caught up with Sophia, the buzzy singer/songwriter described the track as a more angsty offering inspired by the emotional frustration of being led on by someone who suddenly disappears.
“It was very Alanis Morissette inspired,” she told Celeb Secrets, explaining that she wanted to take those angsty feelings and “synthesize” them into an alt-rock/pop song.
Now, both tracks will appear on Sleepwalking at 65MPH alongside “AAAAAHHH,” “Gun in the Garden,” “Never Write a Love Song Again” and “It’s Up To You.” The project was produced by GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum producer Alex Bilowitz.
The upcoming EP arrives during a major stretch for James, who has continued building her audience throughout 2026 following the viral success of “So Unfair” and the global “Group 7” community it sparked online.
Since releasing her debut single “Somebody New” in 2020, James has carved out a lane that blends powerpop, indie pop, folk, jazz and rock. Her growing catalog has earned millions of streams and co-signs from Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, Reneé Rapp and Laufey, while her live résumé includes headline shows in New York and Los Angeles, international touring and opening slots for artists including Cannons, Eloise, Jensen McRae and Couch.
She also released her EP The Wrong Shoe Theory following the “Group 7” phenomenon and has kept the momentum going with new music throughout the year. This next chapter, though, isn’t about following a formula — it’s about trusting herself creatively.
“I’m really not trying to be influenced by anything or swayed any which way creatively,” she said. “I’m just kind of existing as my whole self right now, which feels really good.”
That mindset feels especially fitting for an EP born from the highs, lows and complete absurdity of life moving way too fast.
“I’m just doing my thing,” James added. “And if you rock with it, that’s so awesome, like, come along for the ride.”
For James, Sleepwalking at 65MPH seems to be exactly that: an invitation to come along for the ride, wherever the next song, or emotional plot twist, takes her.
You can watch our interview with Sophia from the 2026 MTV VMAs below and leave a reaction at the bottom of the post if you’re loving “Never Write A Love Song Again.”
For more coverage from the 2026 MTV VMAs, click here.
