The word 'album' makes you nervous, especially 'debut album.'
— Ella Mai
I'm big on self-confidence.
A lot of the times, if relationships go badly, you concentrate on the negative. But in those situations, there is always a positive outcome that you can learn from. So, I like to concentrate on the lesson and how I can learn from this. I concentrate on me rather than concentrating on the actual situation.
My mom used to play a lot of music around the house, and I think that's where I get my inspiration from.
I was a huge Lauryn Hill fan; that was all my mom would listen to in the car.
I think it's harder for R&B to break in England because the radio and labels don't really know what to do with R&B music.
With social media especially, there's a lot of image issues that everyone faces because there's so much pressure on us.
A lot of my music is about love. And that, of course, is super relatable.
To find out my song made the top 10 was honestly a dream come true. I think it's something that I've dreamed about, and anyone dreams about, their whole life.
I write in a diary every night to collect my thoughts. It's very therapeutic to songwrite, because it's the same thing.
I always say that when you have friends that are girls, you tell each other everything.
When you're in love, your heart and your mind are in sync, and everything just feels right. It's a special feeling.
I was 12 years old when I first moved to New York, and at that age, you're trying to find yourself. It was hard being so different from everyone I was around, and I felt that nobody could really understand me because everyone was American, and I was this little English girl with an accent.
I'm very big on feeling.
A lot of 'Time' was actually about a friend's relationship and me seeing what she went through and how she felt.
I played soccer for nine years, so I took that route instead of singing. I played on the outside team as well as in school, so I was always playing soccer. It wasn't until I moved back to London that I really, like, started investing in music again and realized, OK, yeah, this is definitely what I want to do.
It's okay to wake up and look however you look. You are beautiful regardless.
It was such a culture shock for me, being plucked from this diverse neighborhood in London into Jamaica Queens. I'm in this new environment, and I had an English accent.
Mustard saw my Instagram probably, like, August of 2015. He just reached out to me by DM on Instagram.
Everyone in L.A. loves sushi, and I don't understand it at all.
From the end of 2015 to the start of 2016, I was always at the studio with Mustard, just figuring out a sound.
I love to color.
It's been cool to have my name mentioned when people say R&B is on the comeback and I'm the leading person. If you had told me at 16 that I would be that person - you're lying.
I always felt like I could go to my mom and speak to her about anything. We have a great relationship.
I could never have imagined that, so early in my career, that I'd be ticking off boxes that I've dreamed about since I was a little girl.
The first time I found out that 'Boo'd Up' went platinum, I was handed the plaque. They really surprised me. I thought we were gold, and then Mustard and my managers brought the plaque to my rehearsals and told me. I was like, 'You are lying!' Like, I couldn't believe it. I'm just honored, honestly. It's a great feeling.
I definitely believe that there are songs that, as artists, we don't know the full potential.
I'm someone who likes routine.
A lot of people say 'Boo'd Up' reminds them of '90s R&B. It has that feeling, which is why I think people take to the song so much.
I wanted to show people that I don't just make love songs that are about purely being in love.
As much as a lot of my music is very R&B, there's a bounce to it that obviously makes it easier to perform live. It's upbeat and uptempo.
L.A. is so slow. Everyone is so chill, and the weather, of course, makes everything better, but it's just a different vibe.
When I went into high school, I don't know why - because I've been performing since I was little - but I think it was just the pressure of being somewhere so different, and I already stood out because I had an accent, and everyone always wanted you to talk, that I kind of shied away from singing a bit.
It's deeper than the music when it comes to me and Mustard. He's like a big brother, and I'm so thankful to have a mentor like him to advise me. Even though he gives me a lot of creative control, I always go to him like, 'Do you like this?' It's so cool that it's always a collaborative effort. He never makes me feel pressured or anything.
Mustard believes in me so much. It's good to have a mentor that's been through it. Even though he's a producer, he's been a new artist.
There's a lot of young females doing R&B in England who are extremely talented and deserve more light on their stories.
I've always been singing. Ever since I can remember, I've been singing.
'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' happens to be my favorite album.
There's a place for R&B in the U.K. industry - a huge market. I hope that 'Boo'd Up' can be a testament to the fact. Sometimes, it takes you moving outside the box to prove that it can be done.
As much as heartbreak music might be therapeutic, we all want love and long for that feeling. So if a song can give you that feeling, even without being in love, that's amazing.
I like to leave things open to interpretation. But I also like to make a point. There's two meanings behind each EP title. With 'Time,' that was 'time to move on': you know, you've been in a bad situation; this is enough. But it was also time, in my life, for introducing myself, my first project I was putting out with Mustard. A new exciting time.
'Naked' embodies what everyone, at the end of the day, really wants and how they should feel.
I've learned a lot. I've seen a lot. I've grown a lot.
Sometimes we misinterpret, sometimes we misunderstand, sometimes we make mistakes.
People make careers off of Instagram. So in that sense, it's really good, and you can put yourself out there and be open.
I think R&B is way bigger in America. It's not really that mainstream in the U.K.
There's loads of eyes and expectations. People are almost waiting for you to make a mistake so they can say, 'Oh, she's a one-hit wonder!'
I think originality is something that's important and catches people's eye.
Not everybody gets to wake up and do what they love.
I feel like everyone has been in a bitter situation, regardless whether it's cheating or just not being over someone who is over you - you compare yourself to the next.
