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 November 3, 1994) is an 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 called Arize. In 2015, she released her first solo music, an EP (Extended Play) called Troubled.

An American music producer named DJ Mustard found Ella Mai's music and videos online. He was impressed and signed her to his record label, 10 Summers Records. This label works with Interscope Records.

Between 2016 and 2018, Ella Mai released three more EPs: Time, Change, and Ready. Her first full album, Ella Mai (2018), became very popular. It included hit songs like "Boo'd Up" and "Trip". "Boo'd Up" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Ella Mai was nominated for a Brit Award in 2019. That same year, she won three awards at the Billboard Music Awards, including Top R&B Artist. Her second album, Heart on My Sleeve (2022), also did well on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Early Life and Moving Around

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 Ella after the famous singer Ella Fitzgerald.

When Ella Mai was 12, she moved to New York City with her mother. Her mother got a teaching job there. It was hard for Ella Mai to get used to New York. She was often teased because of her English accent. Ella Mai finished high school at Queens High School of Teaching in Glen Oaks, Queens. She moved back to England when she was 17.

Music Career Journey

Ella Mai started her singing career in 2014. She studied at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute in London. During this time, she tried out for The X Factor with a group called 'Arize'. However, they did not make it past the first audition. The group broke up soon after.

First Album Success: 2015–2019

In 2015, Ella Mai put her first four-song EP, Troubled, on SoundCloud. Her high school friend, Kyle "Dj Kam1" McCullough, produced it. Soon after, DJ Mustard found her on Instagram and signed her to his record labels, 10 Summers Records and Interscope Records.

In February 2016, she released her next EP, Time. This EP had six songs, including "She Don't" with Ty Dolla Sign. She then released Change in November 2016 and Ready in February 2017. The song "Boo'd Up" from Ready became very popular online and in clubs.

Ella Mai in 2017.

Ella Mai went on tour with singer Kehlani in 2017. Being an opening act for Kehlani helped her music reach more people. "Boo'd Up" started getting played a lot on the radio in spring 2018.

On April 26, 2018, she released a music video for "Boo'd Up". The song quickly became a huge hit. It was her first song to reach the top ten in the US. Rolling Stone magazine called it one of the biggest songs by a new female R&B singer in ten years. "Boo'd Up" reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also set a record for staying at number one the longest on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for a female artist. In August, she joined Bruno Mars on his 24K Magic World Tour.

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

In November 2018, she was featured on songs by JID and Meek Mill. On November 18, she performed on Saturday Night Live.

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, Ella Mai won Billboard Music Awards for Top R&B Artist and Top Female R&B Artist.

She also appeared in a funny sketch on Nickelodeon's All That in July 2019.

New Music and Albums: 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 her second album, Heart on My Sleeve. It was released on May 6, 2022. The album reached number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Personal Life

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

Music Style and Influences

Ella Mai has often said that Lauryn Hill, Chris Brown, Brandy, Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, and Mariah Carey are her biggest musical inspirations.

Vibe magazine said that her music style reminds them of R&B artists from the 1990s. Rolling Stone described her sound as "a British émigré full of self-confidence and an affinity for classic Nineties R&B."

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 them:

See also

In Spanish: Ella Mai para niños