Ella Mai, an English R&B singer, produced one of the year’s defining songs with “Boo’d Up,” a cozy ballad inflected with the swing and percussions of West Coast rap, which was followed by “Trip,” another triumph (“Boo’d Up” went on to win a Grammy for Best R&B Song). The singer has revealed her follow-up effort “Leave You Alone,” which will be released on May 6 on Mustard’s label 10 Summers.
Ella Mai’s sophomore album, Heart On My Sleeve, is set to be released later this year. The album is the follow-up to her critically acclaimed self-titled debut. The album title and cover were unveiled on Ella’s social media on March 28, 2022, with the caption:
More than ever before, I put my heart and soul into this record. This sophomore year has piqued my interest. Let’s go through it again! The first song from the album, “DMFU,” was released on January 28, 2022, along with its official music video.
If “Boo’d Up” and “Trip” are your major points of reference for Ella Mai’s work, “Leave You Alone” shows another side to an artist who writes on the problems of restraining her heart. The song is about a circumstance, and the tension at its center is Mai’s longing for something more. “Every time you say you want to relax, I wind myself nude / Could it be the agony and pleasure you’re creating?”
Heart On My Sleeve Tracklist:
1. “Trying”
2. “Not Another Love Song”
3. “Didn’t Say” feat. Latto
4. “Break My Heart”
5. “Fallen Angel”
6. “How” feat. Roddy Ricch
7. “Pieces”
8. “DFMU”
9. “Hide”
10. “Power of a Woman”
11. “A Mess” feat. Lucky Daye
12. “Feels Like”
13. “Leave You Alone”
14. “Sink or Swim”
15. “Fading Out”