Ella Mai

Singer and songwriter Ella Mai began making a splash in the 2010s by applying cutting-edge production techniques to '90s R&B influences. Born Ella Mai Howell on November 3, 1994 in London England, she relocated to New York City at the age of 12 for schooling, and then moved back to the U.K. For a time she worked with a trio called Arize, but eventually went her own way. After posting some of her solo tracks online, she attracted the attention of Los Angeles producer/artist DJ Mustard, who signed her to his label, 10 Summers. She released the EP Time in 2016, finding little success, but the follow-up EP, Change, made it to No. 20 in the American R&B charts, and the 2017 EP Ready fared even better, going all the way to No. 3. That record's lead cut, "Boo'd Up," slowly gained popularity due to Internet exposure and Mai's opening slot on a tour with U.S. artist Kehlani, and when the track was released as a single in 2018 it became a triple-Platinum blockbuster, hitting the top spot on the R&B charts and No. 5 on the pop Top 40. The song was also included on Mai's self-titled 2018 debut album, released in conjunction with Interscope. The LP went Gold, and became an R&B No. 1 record. The album's second single, "Trip," blew up as well, going Platinum and hitting No. 1 on the R&B charts.