{MUSIC NEWS} Ella Mai Drops Her Self-titled Album October 12th and Everyone is Ready | @ellamai

Ella Mai Drops Her Self-titled Debut Album October 12th & Everyone is Ready

I have been a fan of Ella Mai since I heard her song "A Thousand Times". However, she's new to the masses of individuals who've been under a rock when it comes to real R&B music because she recently has gained traction as one of the top charting female artists for her single, "Boo'd Up". There's not a song by this artist I won't listen to; she speaks to my soul. And I'm pretty sure that's why she's acquired so much attention over the past few months because all of her songs are like that: melodic, soulful, relatable; she's just so f&%$ing talented! And gorgeous is just icing on the cake. Ella can sing her a$$ off! And her songs are so laid back with that neo-soul vibe that you can listen to all day...night...forever. She will remain a #playlistpermanent artist for myself and others who enjoy true R&B. 

For the record, her self-titled debut album drops October 12th and everyone is ready for it. The world is ready for real music and I am overly ecstatic that she's finally getting the recognition she so unapologetically deserves. Her natural beauty shines through her music with her unrelenting virbratto that just works. And she's not stopping at the number one spot on the Billboard...with over 1.3 million followers on YouTube, 1.8 million on Instagram, 239k on Twitter & those numbers continue to increase daily...she's taking over the world!

And while everyone is replaying her newest single, "Trip", I'm still vibing to her single, "Naked", which was released in February. It didn't gain as much traction once "Boo'd Up" hit the airwaves, but it's an amazing song with an even more amazing sentiment. Just because I care about your musical preferences--lol-- I'll leave you with the video for #Naked as well as her latest, #Trip. And you can #ThankMeLater.

Now, go pre-order her upcoming album so you can be the first to have it on replay while the rest of the world is still sleeping.

Her latest single, Trip:

And the bonus video I told you I was going to give you, Naked...#ThankMeLater

 

PRE-ORDER HER ALBUM NOW! 

iTunes | Apple Music

Follow Ella Mai 

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Official Website

Enjoy the content? Follow the blog on Facebook & Instagram. And you can get all the updates firsthand by following me on Twitter. 

Until next time...

Enjoy the music?
Support the artist.

xoxo,

Rachel Marie

Founder/Owner/Content Specialist, The Underground Artistry

Content Specialist, Platinum Sound Promotions

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

{ YOU NEED TO KNOW ARTIST } H.E.R. @HERMusicx

Who is H.E.R.? 

Despite how grammatically incorrect that sounds, if you were like me when first hearing this artist, you did not know who it was. You knew you liked the songs. You knew you were addicted to her voice. You knew you couldn't live without one or all of her songs on a playlist. You knew you had to have her album. You knew you wanted to hear more. You knew all of that. Except her name.

She literally took over the world with her first self-titled EPs, H.E.R.: Vol 1 and now she's stealing new hearts and making old fans fall in love all over again with H.E.R. Vol 2: The B Sides. Named in Forbes list of 30 Under 30: Class of 2018 & named "Artist to Watch" from Pandora, she definitely is leaving her mark on the industry...and the world. Her tours are sold out. Her singles are being downloaded at alarming rates. Her EPs are outselling some of the biggest albums of the year. Not to mention, there's a lot of people who still do not know H.E.R. name.


Ready to learn about the artist behind the moniker? Gabi Wilson is the name behind the silhouette you see on her covers. There was speculation after a few weeks. The vocals were similar, the vibes were remembered, sooner or later true fans were bound to put one with the other and find out who this mysteriously talented beauty was and how to let the world know just whom they were listening to.
H.E.R.'s debut project bolted to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes R&B chart. Not to mention, it's been streamed more than 12 million times on Soundcloud. Spotify? Up to 1.6 million MONTHLY listeners. All this without any real promotion of her project or pushing it to radio.
In earlier interviews, the woman behind the acronym said that music isn't listened to "for what it is" anymore and people are always so worried about who the artist is, what they're doing, what they're wearing, who they're friends with, etc...she said she just wants to let people judge the music for what it is without having to deal with the other part of the industry, which is the ever so annoying paparazzi wanting to record and photograph your every move. Nonetheless, she covers her face in photos to keep the mystery going & allows people who listen to H.E.R. to feel the emotions behind the music.

With her velvety tones, dynamic harmonies, soul snatching lyrics, and heart stealing melodies, this artist--whether you know her real name or not--will be the force that awakens real R&B and brings back the music we used to love.

Her latest: "My Song" off Vol. 2: The B Sides, released January the 2nd, is climbing the R&B charts and ever so gracefully showcasing her beloved talent. {audio video below}

Follow H.E.R. by visiting the Links Below:

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter

Official Website

You can purchase your copy of the album {both old & new} as well as her latest single by following the links below:

iTunes: H.E.R. Vol 1 :Amazon

iTunes: H.E.R. Vol 2: The B Sides :Amazon

iTunes: My Song {the single} :Amazon

Well, as usual I appreciate you visiting the blog and reading the content. I hope you enjoyed this week's You Need To Know Artist. Leave your comments below to let me know what you think about the artist and the music.

And...as you know:

Enjoy the music?
Support the artist.

Until next time....

xoxo,
Rachel Marie
The Underground Artistry

Find me on FB here and Twitter here! Be sure to visit & leave a like on The Underground Artistry's FB page here. 

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

{YOU NEED TO KNOW ARTIST} JoJo

Okay, let me take you back for a second...who remembers the movie RV? With Robin Williams? Remember the daughter? That is how long I've known about today's You Need To Know Artist! I actually owned her first self-titled studio album, which features one of my favorite songs to date by this artist: "Leave (Get Out)". [cover: right] Now she's got songs with Remy Ma & the list keeps growing. She is so underrated. I cannot believe how many people I come across that do NOT know who she is and have never heard of her music. I quickly pull out a playlist full of my faves & let them listen. Insta-fans just like that! It literally blows my mind how many people that I hang around on a daily basis that don't know who she is. They're like "JoJo? Who is that?" Ha! Well, keep reading because you're about to find out!


Her latest studio album "Mad Love" [right] features songs: "F.A.B" with Remy Ma, "F*ck Apologies" with Wiz Khalifa, the title track "Mad Love" and many others that I'm sure you'll love.

And how do I love this artist...she really gets her fans! Anyone still own a record player? Well she's got this on VINYL and when you purchase the vinyl you get the digital copy for free. And you can check that out here.

She has progressed so much over the years and I am overwhelmed by the amount of GREAT MUSIC she has. She has the R&B tones to the pop-rock melodies, she has it all. She can sing ballads, she can sing pop, she can sing R&B, she can sing rock...she's so versatile and her range is just unfathomable.

Here's her video for "Say Love"...













This song comes off her album III-Single [above] that features 3 expansion songs:
"Say Love"
"Save My Soul"
"When Love Hurts"

All three songs are ones to own. You can pick those up individually by the iTunes badges below.

"Say Love"

"Save My Soul"

"When Love Hurts"

You can also pick up the entire 3-song expansion here if you'd rather do that. How about another video? Here's her video "F.A.B." featuring Remy Ma. {explicit content}

This song comes off her "Mad Love" album, which you can pick up here. {And that's the link to the DELUXE version...you're welcome!}

Okay, I think I'm done doting. Haha. I can't help it. She's awesome! And I love putting people up on artists they had no clue about.

Be sure you follow & support the artist. She's so underrated. Help get her the recognition she deserves!

You can follow her on all of her social accounts by following the links below:
Facebook

Twitter

Official Website

YouTube

Enjoy the music. Support the artist.

As always, thank you for taking the time to view, read, like, comment, etc...I love all my readers and supporters. You guys are amazing! Be sure to check out my Facebook >> Rachel Marie, the Writer and follow me on Twitter @rachelmzmarie ! Thank you once again & remember: another site, but not just another blog. The home where we bring you artists with flavor and stories with substance: The Underground Artistry.

xoxo,

Rachel Marie

The Underground Artistry

For more on this blog, find it on Facebook here. 

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS* 

Good Girl

Hey...you...reading this...wanna dive into a nostalgic daydream with me real quick? Xscape playing in the background, sitting on the sofa just vibin' to the sound of the 90s. I hear it in my head...

Don't you ever yearn for that old school music? That music that put you in the mood at the sound of the beat drop? The 'vibe approved', turn ya speakers up, get up & dance, sing-along if you wanted to-type music?

The type of music that made you wanna learn more about the artist(s); made you want to buy tickets to their concerts; made you want to stand in line for new released albums?

Well, if you're in this daydream with me: SNAP OUT OF IT because have I got a treat for YOU!

Introducing GOOD GIRL!! I am absolutely IN LOVE with this group! They have that old school feel with the new school attitude & I am diggin every bit of it!

I've been searching for months now trying to come across an artist...or a group...that will give me that feeling of, "Ooooooweeeeee, I liiiike"...well, here ya go.

If you were ever a fan of Destiny's Child, Xscape, En Vogue, SWV, TLC, then you will fall in love with this dynamic foursome just as I have.

They give you harmony; they give you melody; they give you dance moves for days! Their sound is their own but you definitely have to admire their ability to blend in with whatever decade their hearts pull them to sing towards.

Meet the GIRLS:
(L:R) Arielle, Megan Nicolle, Bobbi, & J.L.

Hailing from Philly, the birthplace of legends and legends to be, you have the chill one, the fierce one, the charmer, and the silly one. Arielle is the laid back, sweetheart, while Megan is the leader of the group: always keeping them on their toes. Bobbi gives 'girl next door' a whole new meaning; all while J.L. keeps the group grounded & laughing. Their personalities shine through their videos & their chemistry is volcanic! I literally cannot think of a better foursome right now.

All between the ages of 21 & 23, these ladies are just getting started. The fierce foursome has been blowing up YouTube --where I discovered them-- ever since they auditioned for America's Got Talent in 2016. They acquired thousands of fans literally overnight! Singing Xscape's hit "Don't Let Go", they had the entire audience cheering, singing along, and rooting for their success on the show. Despite the fact they were kicked off the show in a later episode, it didn't stop their shine. Their signing with Warner Music Group was a big step in the direction for them to dominate your speakers!

Let's support the artists that are actually bringing talent back to the radio, shall we? Go--right now-- and like their FACEBOOK page; follow them on TWITTER and IG. You can pick up their EP "Goodie (The Appetizer)" on iTunes...just click here. And make sure you visit their website for the latest updates on performances, videos, and more.  >>> GOOD GIRL website <<< You really do not want to NOT be in the loop when this volcano erupts!

I'll leave you guys & gals with one more video before I sign off...as always, I love music, I love what I do, I do what I love. Here's their mashup of girl group songs that I'm sure you'll enjoy as much as I do...

Good Girl with "Girl Group Mashup"

#ThankMeLater

For more on the writer, please visit her Facebook page; you can also find The Underground Artistry on Facebook as well. Be sure to follow her on Twitter for updates on more hot artists and new blog posts coming soon!

xoxo,
Rachel Marie
The Underground Artistry
Another site...not just another blog.


DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to any of the material herein; it is solely for promotional purposes to engage an audience. For licensed material and copyright information, please visit the website for the artists given herein. 

Platinum Radio

Your on-the-go radio station for hip-hop, soul, R&B, & rock! You can even listen on your smartphones 24-7 by clicking here. Take #PlatinumRadio on the go & listen to the hottest music not being played on your local radio stations!

Giving reputably good music a platform: Platinum Radio is your station! Do you have something you'd like to listen to? A hot song you heard and you're anxious to hear it again? Call in to Platinum Radio Station @ (616)-841-5253 with your name, location, & request and it'll be played live on the air.

Follow Platinum Radio on #Twitter here & #like, #share, and #follow on #Facebook here.

I'm vibin' while I'm typing this up & let me tell you...I can't stop bobbin' my head & rockin' to the beat! The music just flows...you know you've heard those online radio stations that have songs playing back-to-back that just don't sync up! This is not one of those stations...tune in & find out for yourself.

You won't be disappointed!

Y'all know I wouldn't lie to y'all or link y'all to anything I wouldn't listen to, myself.

Thank me later!
xoxo,
Rachel Marie
The Underground Artistry

You can find The Underground Artistry on Facebook & more on your favorite writer on Facebook & Follow me on Twitter. Just click the platform names. <3 Love y'all! <3

Sarai Juelz: Artist Interview

I came across an amazing singer/songwriter in 2015. I was going through a time in my life where I felt I was losing everything. Her lyrics spoke to me. They helped me through that moment in time where I felt like giving up. 

 

Her name is Sarai Juelz. 

The first songs I heard by this artist were "Damage", "Just Because You Fall in Love", and "You Did That". I fell in love. My ears were crying from the truth in the lyrics. My eyes watered as a lump grew in my throat as I cried it out and let it go. I was done with that pain and her music helped me move forward. 

Today, I introduce her as one of the best R&B vocalists and songwriters I know that is from my neck of the woods: Soperton, GA, but resides in Atlanta. 

She will be that voice you won't forget. 

She is that voice you want to put on replay.

I am honored to have been able to connect with and interview her. 

So, who is Sarai Juelz?

By birth, she's Kimberly Michelle Howard. I had the privilege of connecting with her online through Facebook about 2 years ago. However, we never really spoke much though we were in a couple groups together. One day I started this blog...and in the light of needed artists to interview, she was one of my picks. So, here we are.

I asked about the name change, which she was more than open to explaining, for I did previously know how it came about, yet I didn't know the full story. 

She tells me she 'floated around a lot', which gives way for all the names she accumulated over the course of her career as an artist and writer. Names like Kay Michelle, because her grandmother wanted to name her 'Kay', she tells me. She also went by Mandeeza, Yaa-Theory, SWOAN--which stands for 'Someone Without A Name'. She informed me that she was writing in her journal one day and missing her children, who passed away due to pregnancy complications: her daughter, Sarai Imani and son, Zion Juelz. She gets to the end and signs it, Sarai Juelz. "That's the first time I felt connected", she states. Finally settling upon Sarai Juelz in memory of her children, she's now moved from the Red Clay central of Soperton, Georgia to the hometown of some of today and yesterday's hottest artists: Atlanta.

I go on to ask her about the musical greats that may have been inspiration to her. As such a young artist, singing since she was 3 years young, she's had her share of musical greats that have been inspiration for her. From the likes of artists such as Diana Ross & Janet Jackson to Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, and Erykah Badu. She stated, "overall Aaliyah, Chante Moore, and anything that Dino from H-Town sings". She also pulls musical inspiration from her brother, Ness Lee. She states, "The way he has mastered his craft is amazing, and to witness it was even more awesome.  I strive to have his work ethic when it comes to music." 

When she was around 7, she wrote her first song for her mother: "Ride that Train to Heaven". She stated, "I knew she was chasing a rainbow that conflicted with her faith, and I wrote it for her." Which moves us right into the question, what's the top 3 inspirations for your music? She states, "pain, love and life in general". I can't agree on a better trio. 

I asked Sarai, what makes you different from all other artists that we hear or have heard? She goes on to say, "I only write and sing what I know.  I won’t ever do a song for myself just to sell records.  If I record it, it will be something that applies to me or my life in some aspect." She goes on to state that if she does write a song that 'isn't her', she'd 'sell it or let someone else sing it' because she only makes music that 'makes sense' to her life. 

Continuing the interview, I go on to ask her: what would be some advice you'd give to younger generations that may want to get into the music industry?

"Get all the vocal training you can get. I haven’t had any and the voice I had when I was younger is no longer there.  You can absolutely lose it if you don’t train it.  Learn the business side of it. Always create the music you want to represent you, even if you’re the only one who likes it, because you’ll always be able to explain who you are and the purpose of your music.  If it’s not true to you, it won’t be true to who’s listening to it." And she lives by that. One of her mottos’ is "The best person you can ever be is you", and that is nothing but the truth. Going on to say she lives by 2 other mottos’: "I never lose: either I win or I learn" and "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear".

I can honestly say this has been one of the most inspirational interviews I've done to date. Her music moves you. Her lyrics speak to you. What more can you ask for in an artist? She has a long career ahead of her.

If you'd like to contact Sarai Juelz for booking, you can call (404) 942-9270 or you can email saraijuelzmusic@gmail.com. Her website will be available soon, but for now you can preview and purchase her album, Sarai vs Love, on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and CD Baby. You can also visit her on Facebook, Twitter, Reverbnation, and SoundCloud. Just search for her name: Sarai Juelz. Or, you can click on the links herein.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my interview with this amazing artist and songwriter. Be sure to check out her links and share when you get there.

As always, thanks for reading and be sure to follow The Underground Artistry because more updates are coming. You won't want to miss those. Interviews from artist, Thi Hays and small business owner, Lavish Fad coming up over the weekend, so be sure you follow if you want the updates!

As always, it's great to bring you awesome content. Please be sure to share this post and others alike; I'll be glad that you did! :)

Sincerely,
Rachel Marie
The Underground Artistry
Another site...not just another blog.

You Need to Know Artists

You Need to Know Artists: 

As an entertainment blogger and underground music feign, I tend to come across A LOT of amazingly talented underground artists. In this ongoing list, I will be bringing you hot underground artists that you may or may not have heard of; please be sure to subscribe to their channels &/or follow their social media platforms to stay updated. Each artist will get a feature on the blog.
They will be featured for 1 week.

If you know an artist that would fit right in with this group of underground 'You Need to Know Artists', place their name and a link to their social media page(s) or their website in the comments section. I'll get in touch with them.

This list is updated daily.

Be sure to follow #TheUndergroundArtistry blog to make sure you get the updates.

As always, I'm looking forward to bringing you some hot artists. 

Thanks for reading, sharing & following. 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Marie, the Writer

The Underground Artistry

Another site...not just another blog.