Ella Mai

Kiana Ledé’s New Album ‘Grudges’: Everything We Know So Far

by
Kiana Lede 2023 Staples Center
Getty Image

It’s been more than three years since Kiana Ledé gifted the world with a full-length project. That last body of work was her 2020 debut Kiki which was certainly one of the better R&B albums of that year. Since then, Ledé has taken on the ups and downs of life, love, and everything in between and it’s led to the upcoming release of her sophomore album Grudges. The project is just days away from becoming available to fans who have waited years for it, so with that being said, let’s get you up to speed with everything you need to know about it.

Release Date

Grudges is locked in for a release on June 16. It comes three years after Ledé released her debut album Kiki.

Tracklist

Ledé announced the tracklist for Grudges just days before its release. The tracklist goes as follows:

1. “Bitter B*tch” (Introlude)
2. “Irresponsible”
3. “Promise Me”
4. “Gone” Feat. Bryson Tiller
5. “Gemini Slander”
6. “LMK”
7. “Jealous” Feat. Ella Mai
8. “Focus”
9. “Damage”
10. “Too Far”
11. “Deeper”
12. “Grudges” Feat. Kiki & Friends
13. “Deserve”
14. “Same Type”
15. “Where You Go” Feat. Khalid
16. “Closure”
17. “Magic”

Features

Kiana Ledé’s Grudges comes with features from Bryson Tiller (“Gone”), Ella Mai (“Jealous“), and Khalid (“Where You Go”). The album’s self-titled track is listed with a feature from “Kiki & Friends” and based on the tagged names on an Instagram post that Ledé used to announce the tracklist, the “Friends” could be Joyce Wrice, Sinead Harnett, Kyle Dion, and Destin Conrad.

Singles

Ledé has released three singles ahead of Grudges. They are “Irresponsible,” “Jealous” with Ella Mai, and “Deeper.”

Tour

A tour in support of Grudges has yet to be announced, but if we had to guess, you can bet that Ledé will hit the road for Grudges.

More Details

In a cover story interview with Fault Magazine, Ledé shed some light on some aspects of Grudges.

In response to the most “emotionally challenging song” to write on the album:

I would say the most challenging to write was “Deserve.” I had to go back to the time I got raped and process all of the complexities of the situation. I had to choose to forgive myself for some of the choices I made following my rape. Including keeping in contact with the person who did it to seek some sort of closure since I know I wasn’t in a space to seek justice. I realized that putting the blame on myself was more about having control to protect myself. I had to release the grudge I held against myself and really put the blame on him. This song is the closest to revenge I’m gonna get and I am comfortable with that.

In response to the “biggest change” Ledé has felt on this album compared to other projects:

I think this album is just more grown. I have lived more life and processed my experiences from a more mature perspective. (Even though some shit still be toxic – ha.)

Grudges is out 6/16 via Republic Records. Find out more information here.

Kiana Ledé Announced Her Sophomore Album ‘Grudges’ And Its Release Date Isn’t Too Far Away

by
Kiana Lede 2023 Los Angeles Clippers Game
Getty Image

It’s been a little over three years since Kiana Ledé gave us her stellar debut album KIKI. Since then, the singer has been relatively active through collaborations with the likes of THEY. (“Count Me In [Remix]“), Kehlani (“Ur Best Friend“), Destin Conrad (“Unpredictable”), and more. It wasn’t until the fall of 2022 that the journey towards her long-awaited sophomore album began, and kicked off with the release of “Irresponsible.” Eight months later, Kiana Ledé finally announced her sophomore album: Grudges.

Ledé shared the news by unveiling the project’s cover art and release date in an Instagram post. For the cover art of the album, which arrives on June 16, Ledé is pictured on her knees surrounded by numerous cameras in different styles, from portable video cameras to full-on surveillance cameras. The Instagram post was shared with a brief message that read, “Sometimes you gotta face yourself.”

In addition to sharing the cover art and release date, Ledé also unveiled its tracklist through its Apple Music pre-save page. Grudges will arrive with 17 songs and a lone feature from Ella Mai who appears on the album’s second single, “Jealous.”

You can view the artwork for Grudges above and scroll down to see the album’s full tracklist.

1. “Bitter B*tch”
2. “Irresponsible”
3. “Promise Me”
4. “Gone”
5. “Gemini Slander”
6. “LMK”
7. “Jealous” Feat. Ella Mai
8. “Focus”
9. “Damage”
10. “Too Far”
11. “Deeper”
12. “Grudges”
13. “Deserve”
14. “Same Type”
15. “Where You Go”
16. “Closure”
17. “Magic”

Grudges is out 6/16 via The Heavy Group/Republic Records. Find out more information here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

What Is Ella Mai’s Setlist Of Songs For The ‘Heart On My Sleeve Tour?’

by
Ella Mai Good Morning Gorgeous Tour 2022
Getty Image

Ella Mai’s highly anticipated Heart On My Sleeve Tour is in full swing. The “How” singer is embarking on a 34-city tour with sole opening support from singer Thuy. With just a handful of shows complete, as the tour only officially kicked off on March 31 in Wallingford, Connecticut, fans are eager for the day the songwriter sets roots in their region.

With the Grammy Award-winning recording artist only recently releasing the deluxe version of her namesake album, in preparation for seeing the musician live, fans want to know what is Ella Mai’s setlist of songs for the tour.

View Ella Mai’s Heart On My Sleeve Tour setlist, according to Setlist.Fm and the remaining tour dates below.

1. “Trying”
2. “Not Another Love Song”
3. “Pieces”
4. “Break My Heart”
5. “10,000 Hours”
6. “Shot Clock”
7. “Leave You Alone”
8. “Boo’d Up”
9. “A Mess”
10. “Didn’t Say”
11. “Sink Or Swim”
12. “Power Of A Women”
13. “Naked”
14. “Trip”
15. “2 O’Clock”
16. “How”
17. “This Is”
18. “DFMU”

04/12 – Miami, FL @ Revolution Live
04/13 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
04/18 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
04/19 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live!
04/21 – Richmond, VA @ The National
04/22 – Norfolk, VA @The NorVa
04/24 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
04/25 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
04/27 – New Orleans, LA@ The Joy Theater
04/30 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
05/01 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
05/04 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
05/05 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
05/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
05/13 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
05/14 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
05/15 – Vancouver, BC @ Harbour Event & Convention
05/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
05/18 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
05/20 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
05/22 – Minneapolis, MN @The Fillmore
05/24 – Chicago, IL @House of Blues
05/25 – Indianapolis, IN @Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
05/27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
05/28 – Columbus, OH @Newport Music Hall
05/30 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
06/01 – Toronto, ON @ HISTORY

Kiana Ledé And Ella Mai’s Vulnerable ‘Jealous’ Confesses To Their Truths In Love

by

Usually, you’d expect your friends and family to shower you with gifts on one’s birthday. But Kiana Ledé reversed the trend, surprising fans with a brand new single. Beloved for her beautiful yet heartbreaking ballads about betrayal (heard on tracks like “Ur Best Friend” featuring Kehlani), the singer and songwriter dug deep within herself on her new song.

Produced by Vron, “Jealous,” which features Ella Mai, is about just what the title suggests, or as Ledé referred to it on social, “the green eyed monster.” The songs provides both sings with a platform of vulnerability to confess to their truths in the game called love.

Ledé opens the track with a few bitter pieces of honesty, singing, “I ain’t never been good at sharing / But with you I practice patience / And I let you do your thing ’cause I’m doing mine / I was actin’ like I’m good when I know I’m lyin’.” As the track builds the chorus serves as the soothing buffering between the lyrical gut punches.

But on the second half of the track, Ella Mai is here to deliver the final blow. The British songwriter comes in to share her experience on the scorned path of heartbreak, singing, “No, I ain’t never been good at hidin’ my feelings / I don’t wanna come across too strong / I triеd my best for so long.”

Bravely, Mai own up to her part in the failed romance in the lines, “I know you do this sh*t on purpose / Actin’ like you don’t know I’m perfect for ya / You told me I’m your only person / Hate to say it, but that player sh*t be workin’.”

Listen to the song above.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kiana Ledé & Ella Mai Link Up For “Jealous” Single

by

If you’ve ever found yourself feeling some type of way over another person, Kiana Ledé and Ella Mai’s new collaboration is for you. The R&B darlings finally unleashed “Jealous” on Monday (April 3), via The Heavy Group/Republic Records. As it turns out, today is also the Phoenix-raised artist’s birthday, marking the perfect occasion for her to share another must-hear single.

As the VRon-produced effort begins, we hear from Ledé, who admits that she’s “never been good at sharing,” though the man in her life now is pushing her to “practice patience.” Her melodic voice rings out, “And I let you do your thing ’cause I’m doing mine / I was actin’ like I’m good when I know I’m lyin’.” When the chorus finally rolls around, she initially resists her feelings of jealousy but eventually admits to struggling over the “other bitches” in her love interest’s life.

Kiana Ledé and Ella Mai’s “Jealous” Collab is Here

On her verse, Mai markedly sings, “Don’t make me pull up on you just to make it loud and clear / I know you do this shit on purpose / Actin’ like you don’t know I’m perfect for ya / You told me I’m your only person.” From the sounds of her lyrics, she’s feeling just as possessive as her collaborator, leaving them both with plenty of strong feelings to work through.

“What did you think would happen / When you give me all this good dick?” Ledé asks on the bridge as the song comes to a close. “When you keep me on some good shit? / Let ’em try me, I’ma poll it / I’ve been posting pics,” she teases the man who’s got her in her feelings. “That ass been lookin’ thick / Does it make you jealous? / I can’t be the only one.”

Stream Kiana Ledé and Ella Mai’s “Jealous” collab on YouTube above, or add it to your playlist on Spotify/Apple Music. Afterward, tell us your thoughts on the new R&B track in the comments. For more release recommendations, make sure to check back in on New Music Friday (April 7).

Quotable Lyrics:

I’ve been posting pics
That ass been lookin’ thick
Does it make you jealous?
I can’t be the only one

[Via]

Who Is Opening Ella Mai’s ‘The Heart On My Sleeve Tour?’

by
Ella Mai
Getty Image

Last year, Ella Mai unveiled her sophomore album, Heart On My Sleeve. The deluxe edition is out now, and she’s preparing to bring those songs to the road with the aptly titled Heart On My Sleeve Tour, beginning on March

The opener is Thuy, an LA-based singer known for her hit “Universe.”

On Instagram, she wrote in the announcement: “IM SPEECHLESS!!! i’m so honored to be opening up for the angel @ellamai!!!!!! i’ve always been such a fan of u and it’s such an insane full circle moment to be your special guest on your HOMS TOUR!!!!”

In our 2020 interview with Thuy, she discussed her aspirations with music.

“I love creating a storyline. I feel like ‘X’s And O’s’ and ‘Distance Between Us,’ for example, tie into the story of I Hope You See This of closing out that chapter of like that bad relationship or leaving people in the past and that’s kind of like what ‘X’s And O’s’ is about, just like leaving people, whether it’s the non-believers or whether it’s a toxic ex, in the past and I feel like the whole deluxe is really just like closing out that chapter of my life.”

Find all of Mai’s upcoming tour dates here.

Where To Buy Tickets For Ella Mai’s “Heart On My Sleeve” Tour

by

Ella Mai is going on tour to promote her album Heart On My Sleeve. The album was released back in May 2022 but the deluxe released this year in February. Ella Mai announced the album in March of 2022 and stated she poured her heart into it. The original album featured 15 songs and the deluxe added three songs. Separating the two is easy since the cover of the deluxe is in black and white, a large contrast to the original’s colorful cover. The album has minimal features with them coming from Latto, Lucky Daye and Roddy Ricch. This type of a variety showcases the adaptability of Ella as well as her collaborators. The deluxe edition does not add any new features.

Ella Mai has been hinting at going on tour since 2022. In a slideshow of Instagram posts recapping the year there were some not-so-subtle hints. These included her standing in front of an empty venue as well as footage of her rehearsing with a live band. In a more understated hint, she also included a picture of a water bottle with her album’s logo on it. Her listeners were quick to comment about these clues and ask about a tour. Many of them mentioned how long it had been since she did a solo tour and how they had their hopes high. 

Ella Mai has announced her Tour

Whenever an artist drops an album, people expect and assume a tour will follow it. During the pandemic years of 2020 through some of 2022 this was not a guarantee. Many fans who already purchased tickets for various tours learned that the tour would not be happening. This not only left fans disappointed but the artists as well. Some opted to do virtual concerts through social media and YouTube from their homes or small venues. As time went on, venues began to open up with policies in place to keep everyone safe. These policies were worth the trouble for many fans because of their love for the artists. Recently, more and more venues have abandoned these policies and fans are able to attend shows with fewer precautions. 

Ella Mai announced her Heart On My Sleeve Tour on January 22, 2023. On this same day, she also announced the deluxe edition of her album Heart On My Sleeve. Her listeners certainly had a lot to look forward to with both of these announcements. The tour poster featured the same black and white imagery the cover of the deluxe edition of the album has. This uniformity is a glimpse of the type of curated visuals fans can expect to see on the tour. The tour begins March 31 2023 and ends on May 4 2023. Ella has called this her “North America Tour” which leads many fans to believe an overseas portion – specifically in the UK- will be coming in the future.

Fans are Looking Forward to the Tour

Ella Mai recently asked her Twitter followers to ask her some questions. Naturally, many of the questions were about how she was doing or how specific songs came to be. However, there were also some questions about her upcoming tour. One of the first ones asked if there would be any openers/guests for the tour. Ella did not specify who they would be, but she did confirm there would be some. The tour poster does not share who the openers are either. Ella also shared that the chances of a UK portion of her tour are very high. She stated she wants to come back to her home in the UK since she is on tour all over America. 

Tickets for Ella Mai’s Tour are Available Now

Tickets for Ella Mai’s Heart On My Sleeve tour are available now. Fans should check Ella Mai’s website to be connected to their venue’s ticket seller. An extensive list of tour dates and locations are on the homepage of her website. This makes it easy to find without navigating through multiple menus. Fans can scroll to their preferred city and click on “tickets” to gain access to the tour. They can also click on “RSVP” to get reminders and updates about the tickets as the date for their city gets closer. At the bottom of the list, there is an option to “Track” the tour which will take fans to the RSVP page too.

There are several ticket options with various benefits for each one. Naturally, the prices for these various levels increase depending on what comes with them. Most dedicated fans will want to purchase the Meet and Greet Experience tickets. These tickets are also the most expensive ones available. These tickets give fans access to take a picture with Ella Mai, enter the venue early and merch items. Fans can also select the VIP Merch Bundle tickets. This bundle includes an Ella Mai windbreaker, scrunchies, early entry and other benefits. However, there are merch items available on her website now. Some of them are already sold out.

Which city are you going to for Ella Mai’s tour? Let us know in the comments below.

[Via]

Jermaine Dupri Responds To Getting Called “Irrelevant” + 4 Recent Songs He Produced

by

Jermaine Dupri

Jermaine Dupri was interviewed on the I AM ATHLETE podcast and responded to getting called irrelevant in today’s music. SOHH also highlighted recent hit songs JD has recently produced. Star producer and music executive Jermaine Dupri was interviewed on the I AM ATHLETE podcast and responded to being called “irrelevant” in today’s music by fans. […]

The post Jermaine Dupri Responds To Getting Called “Irrelevant” + 4 Recent Songs He Produced appeared first on SOHH.com.