With "Boo’d Up" and "Trip" being so big, that was what a lot of people knew me for and still know me for. There was a lot of pressure coming off of my debut album and I tried my best to not get caught up in that cycle. Where do you see Heart On My Sleeve landing in terms of your development as an artist? When I went on tour, I was able to tour the whole world and really experience that with my fans. I was checking off so many things on my bucket list…but the world was moving so quickly that I didn't even realize the impact of it all. In terms of being an artist, in 2018 when everything blew up for me and "Boo’d Up" went crazy and then "Trip." I didn't really have time to even realize what was going on. It's funny because albums are great ways to look back on areas of your life because they are eras. The last four years I realized I know absolutely nothing. When I was recording my debut album, I was 21, 22 and thought I knew everything. What have you learned about yourself in the past four years since you exploded in the R&B scene? This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Ella Mai spoke with about the multi-year journey that it took to be here. Prevailing through the protection of her own heart and learning from emotional turbulence, Ella Mai is emphatically going to do as her album suggests and wear her heart out in the open. Heart On My Sleeve is an R&B symphony of sentiments that shows the capriciousness of human nature. rapper, Roddy Ricch, as well as Latto and Lucky Daye. On "Fallen Angel," Mai testifies to a potentially deceitful lover buoyed by a suspenseful chorus that ushers into a gospel sermon featuring choirmaster Kirk Franklin. Blige, who praises Mai for being open and advises her to love with faith despite the existence of pain. The first single closes with a trailing violin, leading into the lustful composition of "Not Another Love Song." The turbulent song features a recorded memo from Mary J. The album's varied styles and sonics reflect that balance. " Heart On My Sleeve is about the chaos and the peace put together," Mai continues, adding that "it was difficult at times to find that balance." "The important part really is how you pick yourself up, and that is I learned making this album that made me think: I am really proud of myself. "I have always thought I had it together but sometimes, you will make the wrong decision," Mai says, reflecting on the emotional hurdles she faced in 2020, as well as mistakes made throughout her early career. Now 27, Mai is more surefooted about herself and what her music stands for.īut her ascent hasn't been without tribulation. At the 62nd GRAMMY Awards, her eponymous debut album was nominated for Best R&B Album. The past four years have been big for Mai, whose debut single, " Boo’d Up ," won the GRAMMY Award for Best R&B Song in 2019. Yet that growth, and commitment to self-work, has long been present in Mai, a UK-born singer who moved to New York at age 12. At the soul of Mai's sophomore record are lyrics orienting honesty, womanhood and emotional prowess gained from years of turbulence her heartstrings are utterly exposed from the album's opening track. Out in May through Interscope Records, the album is an introspective compilation of poetry outlining the healing that produces emotional growth. Those tracks now comprise Ella Mai's long-awaited sophomore album, Heart On My Sleeve. "Narrowing them down to 15 was very hard." "I made almost 80 songs during this process," she confesses, chuckling. The singer's eyes brighten as she recounts her stream of consciousness creative process, where she transforms the disorienting unfamiliar into art. "Being in the studio… like my second home," R&B artist Ella Mai says over Zoom from her sun-drenched Los Angeles abode.
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