Ella Mai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ella Mai
Ella Mai at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Ella Mai Howell
Born	(1994-11-03) 3 November 1994 (age 30) London, England
Genres	R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	2014–present
Labels	10 Summers Interscope

Ella Mai Howell (born on November 3, 1994) is a talented English R&B singer and songwriter. She started her music journey in London in 2014. At that time, she tried out for The X Factor with a group.

In 2015, Ella Mai released her first collection of songs, called an extended play (EP), titled Troubled. An American music producer named DJ Mustard discovered her music and performances online. He was so impressed that he signed her to his record label, 10 Summers Records.

From 2016 to 2018, she released three more EPs: Time, Change, and Ready. Her first full album, Ella Mai, came out in 2018. It featured popular songs like "Boo'd Up" and "Trip". These songs became very successful, reaching high spots on the Billboard music charts. "Boo'd Up" even won a Grammy Award! Ella Mai also won several awards at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, including Top R&B Artist. Her second album, Heart on My Sleeve, was released in 2022.

Ella Mai's Early Life and School

Ella Mai was born in London on November 3, 1994. Her mother is from Jamaica, and her father is English-Irish. Her mother loved American jazz music and named her after the famous singer Ella Fitzgerald.

When Ella Mai was 12, she moved from London to New York City because her mother got a teaching job there. It was a bit tough for Ella Mai to get used to life in New York. She was sometimes teased because of her British accent. She finished high school at Queens High School of Teaching in Glen Oaks, Queens. Then, when she was 17, she moved back to England.

Ella Mai's Music Career Journey

Ella Mai's singing career officially began in 2014 when she studied at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute in London. During this time, she tried out for the 11th season of The X Factor with a trio called 'Arize'. However, their group didn't make it past the first audition, and they broke up soon after.

First Album Success (2015–2019)

In 2015, Ella Mai put a four-song EP called Troubled on SoundCloud. After this, she was discovered on Instagram by American hip hop producer DJ Mustard. He signed her to his label, 10 Summers Records, which is part of Interscope Records.

In February 2016, she released Time, the first of three EPs. This EP had six songs, including "She Don't," which featured singer Ty Dolla Sign. She then released her second EP, Change, in November 2016, and her third, Ready, in February 2017. The song "Boo'd Up" from the Ready EP started to become very popular on social media and in clubs.

Ella Mai went on tour with singer Kehlani for her SweetSexySavage World Tour. Being an opening act for Kehlani helped Ella Mai's music reach more people. "Boo'd Up" then started getting a lot of airplay on the radio in the spring of 2018.

Ella Mai in 2017

On April 26, 2018, a music video for "Boo'd Up" was released as the song gained more fame. The song quickly became her first top ten hit in the US, making it her "breakthrough" song. Rolling Stone magazine even called it "one of the biggest singles by a breakout female R&B singer in the past 10 years." "Boo'd Up" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also set a record for how long a song by a woman stayed at number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. In August, Ella Mai joined Bruno Mars on his 24K Magic World Tour.

On August 3, she released the song "Trip", and its music video came out on September 18. This song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ella Mai's first full album, Ella Mai, was released on October 12, 2018. It had 16 songs and featured other artists like Chris Brown, John Legend, and H.E.R.. The album sold very well. In October 2018, Mai announced her first tour, which started in January 2019.

In November, she appeared on songs by JID and Meek Mill. On November 18, she performed on Saturday Night Live, where Jezebel described her as "Pure '90s R&B Heartthrob."

Ella Mai was nominated for two Grammy Awards for "Boo'd Up": Song of the Year and Best R&B Song. She won the award for Best R&B Song. "Boo'd Up" also won the 2019 Billboard Music Award for Top R&B Song. In 2019, Mai also won the Billboard Music Awards for Top R&B Artist and Top R&B Female Artist.

Beyond her music, Ella Mai also appeared in a funny sketch on Nickelodeon's All That on July 27, 2019. The sketch was a parody of a dating show, and she played herself looking for a ghost to haunt her home.

New Music and Second Album (2020–Present)

In 2020, Ella Mai received another Grammy nomination for her first album, Ella Mai.

On October 2, 2020, she released a new song called "Not Another Love Song". Then, on January 28, 2022, she released "DFMU". On March 28, 2022, Ella Mai announced that her second album would be called Heart on My Sleeve. This album was released on May 6, 2022. It reached number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it her second album to be in the top 20.

Ella Mai's Personal Life

In 2024, Ella Mai and basketball player Jayson Tatum welcomed their first child together.

Ella Mai's Musical Style

Ella Mai has mentioned in interviews that her biggest musical inspirations include Lauryn Hill, Chris Brown, Brandy, Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, and Mariah Carey.

Vibe magazine said that her understanding of strong emotions is similar to R&B singers from the 1990s. These artists filled the radio with soulful songs and love anthems. Rolling Stone described her music as having a confident sound with a love for classic 1990s R&B.

Ella Mai's Albums

• Ella Mai (2018)
• Heart on My Sleeve (2022)

Ella Mai's Tours

Headlining Tours

• The Debut Tour (2019–2020)
• Heart On My Sleeve Tour (2023)

Opening Act Tours

• Kehlani – SweetSexySavage Tour (2017)
• Ariana Grande – Sweetener World Tour (European Leg) (2019)
• Mary J. Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous Tour (2022)

Awards and Nominations

Ella Mai has won many awards for her music. Here are some of the most important ones:

See also

In Spanish: Ella Mai para niños