Ella Mai Essentials

South Londoner Ella Mai's sleeper hit “Boo'd Up”, a paean to the innocence of young love, bubbled like a flute of champagne throughout the summer of 2018. Her throaty, playful voice perfectly matches the effervescence of the song's featherlight R&B, but it was only an introduction to an artist capable of much more than fresh-faced puppy love—on the laidback snap of “She Don't”, produced by West Coast hitmaker DJ Mustard, she is wounded and sexy at once; on “Naked” she is vulnerable, honest, and self-deprecating about her “resting bitch face.” No matter her mood, the vibe remains cool, lithe, and poised, a crisp mix of modern radio R&B and old-school blues.