All eyes are on Ella Mai. The British songbird has been a hot commodity since her Grammy-nominated record “Boo’d Up” made history as the longest-running number one song for a female artist on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Her overnight success resulted in her collecting another chart leader (“Trip”) and a gold-selling debut album. It also landed her placement on big stages like select dates on Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic World Tour and SNL.
Mai will create more buzz for herself on her Debut Tour this month. The international trek, which kicks off on January 8 in Birmingham, England, is in support of her eponymous debut and its thread of hit songs.
While you’re still deciding what to wear to the sold-out shows, here are four amazing moments that could happen on this tour experience.
1. You’ll be introduced to a new wave of R&B acts.
If there’s one thing we know about Ella Mai, it’s this: She isn’t afraid to share the spotlight. For her upcoming tour, she has selected three rising stars — Kiana Ledé, Lucky Daye and Jvck James — to relish in her rise to superstardom. All three artists bring something unique to the R&B spectrum, inspiring and moving you in special ways. Trust us: If you aren’t familiar with their discographies, you’ll be cranking up their tunes after the show.
2. A debut performance of her duet “Gut Feeling” with H.E.R.
Ella Mai and H.E.R. are quite the pair. The duo joined forces for a soothing duet, which appears on Mai’s debut album. Since its October release, the sixth-sense track has received a warm reception from their fans and has garnered more than 8 million streams on Spotify. Simply put, we want to hear this collaboration live.
3. You might leave ‘boo’d up.’
Although we’re not psychic and can’t predict if love will be in your future this year, there’s a chance it could happen when Mai starts singing her irresistible bop. We’ve seen the power of this record and how it brings people together. It could be just the right song performed to make a love connection happen for you.
this week alone my album went gold, trip went platinum, i’ve received 4 soul train award nominations and mary j blige facetimed me and told me i’m her favourite singer at the moment. speechless! BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS ✨ forever grateful 💛
— Ella Mai (@ellamai) October 25, 2018
4. Her childhood R&B heroes could make special appearances.
Ella Mai has confessed that ‘90s R&B and jazz have played a major part in the making of her own music. She has named artists like Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige as big inspirations too. With shows traveling across the nation in major cities like New York and Los Angeles close to where these legendary artists reside, it makes for a great night out and a wonderful surprise for Mai. It would make breathtaking impromptu segments.
