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  </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><h1 id="72ef">When a Grammy Doesn’t Guarantee Topping the Charts</h1><p id="5167">As a certified Gen-Z/millennial, I fully acknowledge that my generation’s music is not known for deep and meaningful lyrics. The artists that are topping the charts right now are creating catchy beats that are going viral on TikTok.</p><p id="734a">I think Ella Mai knows this too, which is why the structure of her songs reads as being very purposeful.</p><p id="453e">She keeps her hooks catchy enough to keep them stuck in your head, but also pays tribute to other genres in her music. Her song, “Fallen Angel”, for example, has a gospel choir chiming in and joining her at the end.</p><p id="64e0">It hardly feels like she’s pandering to a crowd, though. Her second album feels authentic while still being on trend. It’s like she’s wearing a well-tailored jumpsuit that fits her well.</p><p id="ce0b" type="7">But why does this Grammy winner keep flying under the radar?</p><p id="8434">It may be because she enjoys music for the sake of making music. After “Boo’d Up” won the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boo%27d_Up">“Best R&amp;B Song” Grammy in 2018</a>, she is now more assured in her sound and the message she wants to deliver to her audience. Mai is a great storyteller. Each song on this album feels cohesive, and blends seamlessly into the next one.</p><blockquote id="ffd9"><p>“I think, vocally for me, my debut album — if we’re comparing — was quite safe. I wasn’t as confident as I am now.” — Mai, in an <a href="https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/ella-mai-heart-on-my-sleeve-album-interview.html">interview with<i> Okayplayer</i></a>.</p></blockquote>
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meborder="0" height="480" width="854"> </div> </div> </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><p id="d045">Sometimes, wearing your heart on your sleeve doesn’t catapult you into the epitome of mainstream superstardom. And that’s okay.</p><p id="1820">Honestly, the album isn’t doing too shabby — “How”, her collaboration with Roddy Ricch, is already sitting at number four on Spotify’s <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX2WkIBRaChxW?si=0de0b890fc0047a7">“R&B Right Now” playlist</a>.</p><p id="bff6">She definitely deserves more hype, though. This woman is made of so much more than just her singles. She’s simply aMAIzing. ❤️</p><p id="b246">If you’re a fan of R&B and looking for something new to add to your playlist, give the album a listen:</p> <figure id="405a"> <div> <div> <img class="ratio" src="http://placehold.it/16x9"> <iframe class="" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fembed%2Falbum%2F6p5jJLTFiYgk95HhW0unhy%3Futm_source%3Doembed&display_name=Spotify&url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Falbum%2F6p5jJLTFiYgk95HhW0unhy&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.scdn.co%2Fimage%2Fab67616d00001e02e8986406dc339143b253b280&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=spotify" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" width="456"> </div> </div> </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><p id="23ab"><i>Want more pop culture commentary from me? Check out this story about other singers I love:</i></p><div id="7011" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/3-singer-songwriters-to-watch-in-2022-b02c0ced21b7"> <div> <div> <h2>You’ll Want to Add These 3 Singer-Songwriters to Your Playlist</h2> <div><h3>Their lyrics are poetry.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*EcPvXkiXrh-zH8Mu)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

More People Need to Talk About Grammy Winner Ella Mai

She wears her “heart on her sleeve” with her sophomore release.

Ella Mai at the iHeart Radio Music Awards, 2019. Credit: Glenn Francis from Wikimedia Commons.

Ella Mai knows that love is messy, complicated, and real. Her four Grammy nominations — and one win — prove that she can capture its many nuances in song.

The English singer-songwriter just released her sophomore album, Heart on My Sleeve. Her breakout single “Boo’d Up” was a catchy anthem about catching feelings, and she doesn’t disappoint with this album either: it’s full of certified bops.

The Earworms For your Next Playlist

The album opens up strong with the earnest song, “Trying,” where Mai sings about a partner that isn’t quite hitting all the right notes when it comes to loving her, but strikes a chord with her heart nonetheless.

The hard-hitting acronym number “DFMU” (short for “don’t f**k me up”) speaks of the dance of guarding your heart but being unable to stop yourself from falling head over heels for someone.

Other standout tunes to jam to include, “Leave You Alone”, “Pieces”, and “How”, a collaboration with rapper Roddy Ricch. She also shows off her vocal chops with the soft ballad, “Hide”.

When a Grammy Doesn’t Guarantee Topping the Charts

As a certified Gen-Z/millennial, I fully acknowledge that my generation’s music is not known for deep and meaningful lyrics. The artists that are topping the charts right now are creating catchy beats that are going viral on TikTok.

I think Ella Mai knows this too, which is why the structure of her songs reads as being very purposeful.

She keeps her hooks catchy enough to keep them stuck in your head, but also pays tribute to other genres in her music. Her song, “Fallen Angel”, for example, has a gospel choir chiming in and joining her at the end.

It hardly feels like she’s pandering to a crowd, though. Her second album feels authentic while still being on trend. It’s like she’s wearing a well-tailored jumpsuit that fits her well.

But why does this Grammy winner keep flying under the radar?

It may be because she enjoys music for the sake of making music. After “Boo’d Up” won the “Best R&B Song” Grammy in 2018, she is now more assured in her sound and the message she wants to deliver to her audience. Mai is a great storyteller. Each song on this album feels cohesive, and blends seamlessly into the next one.

“I think, vocally for me, my debut album — if we’re comparing — was quite safe. I wasn’t as confident as I am now.” — Mai, in an interview with Okayplayer.

Sometimes, wearing your heart on your sleeve doesn’t catapult you into the epitome of mainstream superstardom. And that’s okay.

Honestly, the album isn’t doing too shabby — “How”, her collaboration with Roddy Ricch, is already sitting at number four on Spotify’s “R&B Right Now” playlist.

She definitely deserves more hype, though. This woman is made of so much more than just her singles. She’s simply aMAIzing. ❤️

If you’re a fan of R&B and looking for something new to add to your playlist, give the album a listen:

Want more pop culture commentary from me? Check out this story about other singers I love:

You’ll Want to Add These 3 Singer-Songwriters to Your Playlist

Their lyrics are poetry.

medium.com