Ella Mai
by Ella Mai
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 83
  3. Negative: 9 out of 83
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  1. DUI_
    Oct 12, 2018
    10
    It's nice to see Ella Mai doing a great R&B album, kinda nostalgic feel remembering some old R&B singers like Monica and Aaliyah.
  2. amandaaraujo_
    Oct 12, 2018
    10
    Ella Mai came to us with an amazing debut album! It's a throwback R&B record that makes you just wanna chill and vibe to its smooth songs. Authentically well-produced and with a great tracklist frame. Kudos to Ella and every single one that worked to create this masterpiece!
  3. Del_Banks
    Oct 12, 2018
    10
    Gorgeous album. It was worth the wait. I loved the throwback 90's R&B with her passionate vocals.
  4. SoundOfAMan
    Oct 12, 2018
    10
    Simply wonderful! Favorite tracks: Trip, Boo'd Up, Gut Feelings, Everything, Cheap Shot, Dangerous and Shot Clock!!!
  5. HoldOn
    Oct 12, 2018
    10
    Authentically well-produced, vocals on point, great lyrics and storyteller. Smooth and fyah!
  6. rafaelsantosY2
    Oct 12, 2018
    9
    The album brings a nostalgic feel, reflects how the classic R & B / Soul releases. Calm down, make you dance, make you want to love, make you dream. The world will still hear a lot about Ella Mai.
  7. petcheeta
    Oct 13, 2018
    10
    It’s the full-bodied and fiery tunes Dangerous and Shot Clock that shine through, with their honeyed yet passionate vocals, pointedly candid lyrics, and throwback instrumentation modernised with dark synths and percussion. These are better signs of Mai’s authentic R&B star potential than any millennial slang.
  8. babycry
    Oct 13, 2018
    10
    It's a throwback R&B record that makes you just wanna chill and vibe to its smooth songs. Authentically well-produced.
  9. potato-1
    Nov 10, 2018
    8
    Great debut, it establish her type of direction she wants to go both in terms of music and stylistically. Best non-singles are Sauce, Everything (feat. John Legend) and Close.
  10. Meta-Human
    Jul 4, 2019
    9
    The album is absolutely amazing.Ella Mai's voice is heavenly and I also love the spoken word she puts into the end of many songs based on letters from her name. Every song is a hit truly.
  11. wildheart
    Nov 11, 2018
    7
    Ella Mai blew up earlier this year with "Boo'd Up," an R&B-megahit mixing a 90s throwback sound with current and fresh elements, crafted by her mentor DJ Mustard. After such an introduction to the world, the breakthrough British singer-songwriter unveils her eponymous debut album. What is immediately striking on "Ella Mai" is that all of the songs are in the vein of "Boo'd Up": smooth andElla Mai blew up earlier this year with "Boo'd Up," an R&B-megahit mixing a 90s throwback sound with current and fresh elements, crafted by her mentor DJ Mustard. After such an introduction to the world, the breakthrough British singer-songwriter unveils her eponymous debut album. What is immediately striking on "Ella Mai" is that all of the songs are in the vein of "Boo'd Up": smooth and sassy tracks which use the best elements of major R&B hits from the 90s on catchy and modern production to make them feel fresh and current.

    As one could expect from a DJ Mustard-executively-produced-album, the songs on "Ella Mai" end up sounding a bit repetitive. But fortunately, the record has... Ella Mai - and that's probably why it is titled properly! The promising young artist really makes her debut album interesting. She really carries the songs, her voice is smooth and her delivery is almost all the time on point and helps to elevate some of the tracks substantially ("Dangerous" or "Sauce" for example). One of the album's highlights, "Gut Feeling," is the perfect mix between a throwback and a 2018 R&B mid-tempo jam. Ella Mai's chemistry with H.E.R. works perfectly, the song being the only collaboration that actually brings something to this album (Mai's union with John Legend being a real lackluster and "Whatchamacallit," a duet with Chris Brown, sounding like a reject from his latest album). Other highlights include the sassy and catchy "Cheap Shot," "Good Bad," "Trip" - which sounds even more like a hit single than "Boo'd Up" - or the typical but beautiful album closer "Easy."

    "Ella Mai" isn't exactly the revelation DJ Mustard pretended it was going to be but it introduces the British songstress as a promising talent and offers a collection of nicely produced throwbacks that any 90s R&B fan will surely appreciate.

    Key tracks: "Gut Feeling," "Trip," "Dangerous."    … Expand
  12. Dsros96
    Oct 5, 2022
    9
    Very solid debut R&B album, Ella Mai has made a cohesive album yet not plain, with some upbeat songs.
  13. CHristianLamar
    Jun 8, 2019
    9
    This debut is outstanding! There's an excellent amount of silky R&B songs that you can get lost, happy and satisfied in the span of an hour with these 15-16 tracks. 9/10=A-

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Most Discussed Album of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. HipHopDX
    Nov 1, 2018
    82
    The subtle wave of acoustics, sparse pianism and occasional bass bump work as an apt complement to Ella’s oration. The production also displays the underappreciated diversity of Mustard’s bottomless bag of beats.
    Read full review
  2. PopMatters
    Oct 25, 2018
    70
    Her album might be suffering from a case of bloat, but it doesn't detract from the talent she clearly has.
    Read full review
  3. Clash Music
    Oct 24, 2018
    70
    While she might play it safe as far as messages are concerned--generally exploring relationships--her metaphoric representation of them somehow manage to keep the oft-played theme quite fresh.
    Read full review
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