Rhythm and blues singer Ella Mai released her self-titled debut album Friday, which turned out to be a combination of fantastic singles and some questionable production choices.
Mai unexpectedly broke onto the scene this past year when her signature hit, “Boo’d Up,” started rising up the charts a year after its release. The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 July 21 and has remained there for 27 weeks.
This debut album is not her first album, however, as she released her first EP “Time” in February 2016, but it is the first proper introduction to Mai as an artist.
While this album did have its great moments, Mai misstepped in “Whatchamacallit,” which featured Chris Brown.
Cheating on a significant other should never be romanticized or praised, but Mai sings, “It ain’t cheating / It’s a whatchamacallit / This could be our little secret / A whatchamacallit.” The song’s production makes the song sound very happy, but the lyrics definitely rub me the wrong way.
The Chris Brown feature was another major turnoff due to his history of abusing women over the years. Yes, he is a talented individual who has had an incredibly successful career. However, he did not add anything special to the song, and adding him in was unnecessary.
With the dated production, Brown’s feature and the message of the song, “Whatchamacallit” was definitely one of the low points of the album.
The dated production that was on “Whatchamacallit” was a problem throughout the album.
People who like that kind of old-school music might enjoy some of the tracks like “Good Bad” or “Close,” but personally, I felt that this type of production was too loud and overpowered her voice.
Mai’s strongest asset is her voice, so when her vocal power is unable to shine, the song sounds like something any other R&B artist can sing.
The top two highlights of this album are “Trip” and “Naked.” Mai shines best when the production on the track is minimal and her voice is placed front and center, such as in those two songs.
“Trip,” which has currently peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, sounds like an upgraded version of “Boo’d Up,” except it has much clearer and fresher production. It also has better melodies and allowed Mai to show off her vocals better.
The lyrics, “My bad, my bad for, trippin’ on you” serve as a catchy post-chorus that keeps this song memorable after every listen.
The bonus track “Naked,” which was actually released as a single back in 2017, was one of the other standout tracks. This song features Mai singing over a guitar track for most of the song.
Her voice really shines on this song as she sings, “But what if I told you there’s nothing I want more in this world / Than somebody who loves me naked / Someone who never asks for love, but knows how to take it.”
“Sauce” showcased Mai’s vocals and her ability to shine on a simple R&B beat. “Run My Mouth” was more of a moody trap beat R&B song that strayed from her normal sound with a slow post-chorus that allowed the listener to anticipate the next part of the song.
Overall, I would give this album a B-. There were too many tracks that overpowered Mai’s voice and didn’t allow her to shine through. Compared to other albums in the R&B genre, this self-titled album seemed to err on the safe side.
Listening to the album from top to bottom, all the tracks on the album sounded a bit too similar after a while and began to blend.
On a debut album, there should be more tracks that showcase who Mai really is as an artist, but it seems like her vocals took a backseat to the production on several of the tracks on this album. However, she has several shining moments where she embraces the power behind her vocals.
The potential is there, and she could definitely be more successful in the future. For now, “Naked” and “Trip” will be on repeat until the next Mai project.
