Who: Named after jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, 24-year-old Ella Mai is a British singer who broke through after producer/DJ Mustard noticed her Instagram covers of R&B and hip-hop classics, sent her a DM and swiftly signed her to his 10 Summers label.
Her sound: Atop unabashedly 1990s R&B-style production—mid-tempo ballads and slow jams crafted through the filter of Mustard’s bass-heavy “ratchet music” aesthetic—Mai assuredly sings without overcompensating affectations or acrobatics.
Songs to check out: If you haven’t already, listen to “Boo’d Up,” the first single from her entrancing 2018 self-titled debut and her biggest hit to date. And don’t sleep on the piano-kissed “Trip” and the guitar-led bonus cut “Naked.”
Awards haul: She’s on a tear. Mai won Best R&B Song—and was nominated for Song of the Year—for “Boo’d Up” at last week’s Grammy ceremony, scored three trophies at last year’s Soul Train Awards and is up for numerous Brit Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards and Global Awards.
Her (short) Vegas history: Mai opened for Kehlani at Brooklyn Bowl back in 2017. Here’s your chance to catch her first headlining tour—that is, if you can scrounge up or StubHub a ticket to the sold-out show.
ELLA MAI with Kiana Lede, Lucky Daye. February 23, 7:30 p.m., $28+. House of Blues, 702-632-7600.
