Ella Mai is a British R&B singer and songwriter whose smooth, modern take on classic R&B turned her from a singer posting short covers online into a Grammy-winning artist. Born in London, she first gained attention for her warm voice and honest songwriting, and her breakthrough single “Boo’d Up” became one of the defining R&B hits of its year.
Since then, Ella Mai has released three studio albums, collected major awards, and continued to grow her audience with new music. Her latest release, the surprise three-track EP 3two, arrived on 6 November 2026, her 32nd birthday, and keeps her birthday-EP tradition going with fresh songs for her fans.
Ella Mai Biography Details
Full Name: Ella Mai Howell
Born: 3 November 1994
Age: 32 years old (as of November 2026)
Birthplace: London, England
Genre: R&B
Labels: 10 Summers, Interscope Records
Years Active: 2015-present
Breakthrough Song: “Boo’d Up”
Awards: Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (2019); three Billboard Music Awards (2019)
Albums: Ella Mai (2018), Heart on My Sleeve (2022), Do You Still Love Me? (2026)
Early Life
Ella Mai Howell was born on 3 November 1994 in London, England, to a Jamaican mother and an English-Irish father. Growing up in London, she developed a love for music early and began sharing her voice online.
She posted 15-second song covers on Instagram, and those short clips caught the attention of producer DJ Mustard in 2015. He discovered her through the covers and signed her to his 10 Summers label, giving her the platform to move from online covers to original recordings.
Career
Ella Mai began her label career with a run of EPs on 10 Summers: Time in 2016, Change in 2016, and Ready in 2017. The last of those EPs included “Boo’d Up”, which grew slowly at first and then became a sleeper hit, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
She followed that success with “Trip”, which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album, Ella Mai, was released on 12 October 2018 with 16 tracks on 10 Summers and Interscope, executive-produced by DJ Mustard, and it peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
Her second album, Heart on My Sleeve, was released on 6 May 2022 and debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. Her third album, Do You Still Love Me?, followed in February 2026.
In November 2026, Ella Mai surprised fans with 3two, a three-track EP released on 6 November 2026, her 32nd birthday, through 10 Summers and Interscope. The EP features “Favourite T-Shirt”, “Over and Over”, produced by Mustard, and “All I Know”, and it continues the birthday-EP tradition she started in 2024 with 3.
For more artist profiles, read the Jessie Reyez biography, the Lizzo biography and the Future biography, and explore Softer lyrics by Jessie Reyez.
Awards and Achievements
Ella Mai won Best R&B Song at the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019 for “Boo’d Up”, which was also nominated for Song of the Year. The song was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
In 2019, she also won three Billboard Music Awards, including Top R&B Artist and Top Female R&B Artist, and she was nominated at the BRIT Awards 2019 for British Breakthrough Act. She has also won three NAACP Image Awards.
Watch the Official Video
Watch the official lyric video for “Over and Over” from the 3two EP below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ella Mai?
Ella Mai was born on 3 November 1994 in London, England. She is 32 years old as of November 2026, and she released her surprise EP 3two on her 32nd birthday, 6 November 2026.
What was Ella Mai’s breakthrough song, and how high did it chart?
Her breakthrough song was “Boo’d Up”, from her 2017 EP Ready. It became a sleeper hit and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Did Ella Mai win a Grammy Award?
Yes. Ella Mai won Best R&B Song at the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019 for “Boo’d Up”. The song was also nominated for Song of the Year at the same ceremony.
What is 3two, and when was it released?
3two is Ella Mai’s surprise three-track EP, released on 6 November 2026, her 32nd birthday, through 10 Summers and Interscope. It includes “Favourite T-Shirt”, “Over and Over” and “All I Know”, and it continues the birthday-EP tradition she started in 2024 with 3.
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