We’ve all seen that nostalgia-inducing meme making the rounds on Instagram: “If it doesn’t feel like 90’s R&B, I don’t want it.” Well, if you relish the days of Lauryn Hill, Brandy, Monica, and Aaliyah, meet Ella Mai because the beautiful London native, who’s signed to DJ Mustard’s 10 Summer Records, is truly about bringing “that old thang back.”
Her Change EP is the second installment in a trilogy of what seems to be playing out as life lessons in love and self-growth. Change is all about newfound love and appreciating and enjoying what you got, so it may be the soundtrack that gets you and bae through cuffin’ season 2016.
But I’m getting ahead of myself; the beginning of Ella and Mustard’s tale goes down in the DM (Yo Gotti voice).
Last summer, off the strength of his better half, DJ Mustard listened to Ella’s rendition of Tupac’s “Keep Ya Head Up” via Instagram, took a chance, and hit her up.
A few months later, the two met up in a New York studio on the night of his Made In America performance. Shortly after, Ella began making her first couple of trips to Los Angeles to meet the 10 Summers Records family and, from there, her and Mustard birthed Time, her first EP. The project, which was released in February and boasted the Ty Dolla $ign-featuring single “She Don’t,” also allowed Mustard to explore as a producer with instrumentation outside the scope of rap and hip-hop (but he couldn’t leave out his famous “Mustard on the beat, hoe” tag, of course).
As Ella suggests, Change‘s lead single “10,000 Hours” and its accompanying video are all about mastering love. And who doesn’t need that kind of advice?
So, be sure to get caught up and keep your eyes open for Ella Mai.
‘Change’ is out now via 10 Summers and Interscope.