Ella Mai is an artist I have always felt I should get into. I am such a huge fan of R&B music (as is evident from this blog), and she has been a mainstay of the genre for the last several years. As someone who is very in tune with viral music, I have, of course, heard and thoroughly enjoyed a few of Ella Mai’s hit singles over the years. When she first popped off in 2017 and 2018, it was impossible not to constantly come across songs like ‘Boo’d Up,’ ‘Trip,’ and ‘Naked.’ I never actually explored her full debut album, Ella Mai, though. In fact, I have never listened to any of her projects in full. Over the years(before this latest release, 2 albums and 4 EPs. From what I have seen, she has always been critically acclaimed, though, so I was excited to finally check out her new album. Ella Mai released her third full-length record, Do You Still Love Me?, on February 6. Its lead single, ‘Little Things,’ was a worldwide hit last year, in a similar vein to the aforementioned singles above. Do You Still Love Me? has been acclaimed for its storytelling and vocals. Below, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite songs from Do You Still Love Me?, as well as give some thoughts on it as a whole. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about the record! 

THERE GOES MY HEART

Ella Mai begins this record on a very cool note with the song ‘There Goes My Heart.’ As I said in the introduction, besides for the hits, I was not super familiar with Ella Mai’s music. I did, however, think I had a pretty good idea of her general sound, which has more of a modern sound for the most part. ‘There Goes My Heart’ threw me for a bit of a loop, though. I had to download this one immediately while listening to this album because I dug it so much. ‘There Goes My Heart’ has an old-school Neo-Soul sound that is very groovy. This song reminds me a lot of Erykah Badu or Jill Scott. The bass line that drives ‘There Goes My Heart’ is so smooth. The synths that are put on top of it give the song an orchestral feeling. Ella Mai sings with a lower and more subtle tone on this track from what I am used to, and it fits the style of instrumental super well. On ‘There Goes My Heart,’ Ella Mai sees herself falling in love and trying to resist those feelings that will not fade. 

SOMEBODY’S SON

Unlike the first song on this list, ‘Somebody’s Son’ has a sound and style that is closer to what I have heard from Ella Mai in the past. This song has a warm and fun R&B Trap sound that fits the current landscape of the genre so well. The melody has such a sunny feeling to it that is so nice to listen to. My favorite thing about instrumental is the little backing vocals. This song has a Chipmunk Soul sound through those backing vocals. The pitched-up singing in the background adds to the fun nature of the track. There are also some atmospheric sound effects that come in and out that add to the track as well. Ella Mai’s main vocals on this one are stronger than they are on the opener. Her tone and flow give this song power and give it life. On ‘Somebody’s Son,’ Ella Mai gives in to those feelings of love, looking past all of the potential bad elements of the relationship. 

LITTLE THINGS

If you were active on TikTok last year or even on Instagram, I would assume that you came across ‘Little Things’ at some point. It became a meme in multiple formats. The funniest of which is the love that men(like myself) have for this track. There are many videos of guys belting this one out, which is obviously against the grain of what one would probably expect from them. The instrumental for this one is pretty low-key; it actually has less of an impact for me than the instrumentals for the first two tracks. The song is driven by a cozy guitar riff that is put on top of a light Trap beat. There are some synths that do complement that riff a bit, but they are fairly subdued. The vocals for ‘Little Things’ are what make this track great. Ella Mai’s flow on this song is so great. Her delivery almost has a Rap cadence in a way, which is probably what makes it stand out. She sings with a level of power which really makes this song so fun to listen to. On ‘Little Things,’ Ella Mai details all of the extra ways she will reach out in her relationship to make her partner happy. 

MIGHT JUST

Like the opening track, ‘Might Just’ has a sound that really stands out for how retro it feels when compared to the rest. When I hear this song, it definitely brings me back to the early 2000s. It totally feels inspired by early Beyoncè. music, which is something that is always going to appeal to me. The rhythm and overall feeling of this track are very laid-back and cool. The melody is provided by some light strings and synths, and it is complemented by a piano riff and some pitched-up vocals. Even though stylistically they are pretty different, it kind of feels like the opening track because of the energy compared to the rest of the record. Vocally, Ella Mai has a very soulful tone that really matches the energy of this track. She certainly channels that early 2000s feel with her vocals. On ‘Might Just,’ Ella Mai sings about wanting to go after the woman who is interfering with her and her partner. 

TELL HER

Out of all of my picks for this list, ‘Tell Her’ has the most modern R&B Trap feeling to it. This is a bit ironic, because there is actually an interpolation of Beyoncè’s ‘Say My Name’ in this song. The instrumental for this one has a very bright and sweet melody that I really enjoy. The tone of the piano riff that drives this track is so vibrant, and the synths and sound effects give the song a floaty and sunny feeling as well. The beat is pretty laid-back but still gives the song some life. Ella Mai’s vocals on this track are pretty low and soft when compared to most of the rest of the record. Her vocals sort of contrast the energy of the instrumental. This contrast gives the song a cool juxtaposition. On /Tell Her,’ Ella Mai wonders why her partner is still talking to another woman. She implores him to cut her out and let that girl know that he is hers. 

NO ANGELS

‘No Angels’ is yet another song that has a more classic sound and feeling to it. This song is another that feels really influenced by Beyoncè for me. Like a few of my other picks for this list, ‘No Angels’ has to be inspired by the Queen’s music from early in her career. The track is driven by a Soulful piano riff that is complemented by some sweet synths that vary in intensity as the song progresses. There are also some backing vocals that come in and out that have a Gospel tone and feeling to them. The song title of ‘No Angels’ is accurate, because the instrumental and backing vocals have a Heavenly feeling to them. Ella Mai’s lower and huskier tone on this track works really well on this instrumental. The way her vocals contrast with the melody and backing vocals gives the song a bit more life and soul. On ‘No Angels,’ Ella Mai sings about not letting the bullshit get to her and trying to appreciate all of the good in her life.  

As I stated in the introduction, all I knew of Ella Mai before listening to this album was the viral hits she has had over the years. I had always definitely appreciated her talent, but had never discovered the full extent of it up until this point. I am really glad that I decided to cover Do You Still Love Me? because I was finally able to see and appreciate everything Ella Mai has to offer. At 14 songs, nothing about this album felt like filler to me, and not one of them felt out of place. Even though the sonic direction does vary throughout the record, everything flows together super well. It feels like the album goes back and forth from having a more modern R&B Trap and Pop feeling and from having a late 1990s and early 2000s Neo-Soul and R&B feeling to it. I think the performances and quality are just as good in the new school stuff as they are on the old school stuff, and it gives the album a very nice variety as you listen to it. As far as the newer sounding stuff, Ella Mai’s sound fits in with artists like Summer Walker or Ari Lennox. For the older-sounding stuff, Ella Mai wears her influences on her sleeve. I mentioned Beyoncè multiple times above, and I believe she had to have a major influence on the sound of this record. Ella Mai has always been known as an excellent vocalist, and her talent in this regard certainly shines throughout the record. I love how she can vary from hitting lower notes to hitting higher notes, and her inflection can dictate the energy of any song. The songwriting on Do You Still Love Me? is great as well. Ella Mai does a great job of conveying her emotions, which are totally relatable. Overall, Do You Still Love Me? is a great R&B record where Ella Mai’s talent shines in every way. This is a record I know I will be coming back to a lot, and it made me really appreciate Ella Mai.