Ella Mai

Ella Mai

Ella Mai Howell is a London-based British singer-songwriter who works in contemporary R&B and related pop and soul styles. Born in London in 1994, she begins her music career while studying at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute in London in 2014. During that period, she auditions as part of a trio on the 11th season of The X Factor.

Early releases and label work

In 2015, Ella Mai uploads a four-track solo EP of original songs to SoundCloud under the title Troubled. She is then discovered on social media by American record producer Mustard and signs to his label, 10 Summers Records. Between 2016 and 2018, she releases three EPs on the label: Time, Change and Ready.

Debut album and recognition

Her self-titled debut studio album appears in 2018. It includes the singles Boo'd Up and Trip, both of which reach the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 5 and number 11 respectively. In 2019, Boo'd Up receives Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best R&B Song, winning the latter. Ella Mai also receives a nomination for British Breakthrough Act at the 2019 Brit Awards and wins three awards at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, including Top R&B Artist.