I think these sessions that I’ve been doing for the sophomore album are a lot more figured out. What chances do you feel like you’ve taken so far on this album that you may have not been able to on your debut project?Ī lot, I think. The pandemic didn’t really affect me creatively in any way. So if I can be in the same room and know exactly where everything is, it kind of makes me a bit more comfortable than being somewhere different everyday. I don’t need to be on a beach somewhere, I’m a creature of habit.
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So being able to be in the room with the same three or four people. I don’t know, because I’m a creature of habit.
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Creatively, it might have actually helped. Like, only a certain number of people were allowed in the room to stay safe, but that was it. Honestly, other than the fact that I couldn’t go to the studio and when I did, I was under different measures. I love it so much.ĭid COVID affect your creativity or recording process in any way? So I think “Not Another Love Song” is a great first look into what I’ve been working on. When I was little, I loved to see the evolution of the artist. I felt this was the progression anyway that people needed to see because “Boo’d Up” is “Boo’d Up,” “Trip” is Trip,” and the debut album is the debut album. I just remember the first time listening to it and I didn’t even care if it was different. So we said, “Let’s come back tomorrow with fresh ears and see what we can do.” The first night, we got the chorus and maybe a bit of the first verse and the pre-chorus, but we were unsure where it was going to go. He really, really did that, which always does. Me and Varren looked at each other and said, “We have to do this.” The beat was too hard already. Let me go through it.” I went through it and came “Not Another Love Song.” I left it alone and went away for like a month, came back and I thought, “I haven’t looked at this Bo1ida pack. This was the first time I was working with Boi-1da and he was playing me the other stuff after we finished that and I was like, “Please leave me a pack.” And he was like, “Yeah, I got you.” So he left me like 15 different beats. I did a session with Boi-1da and Jahaan and Varren - who I work with - and we actually made a whole different song in the session that we did. I don’t go into the studio and actively say “ has to be like this.” As much as “Boo’d Up” is two or three years old, it’s still a lot of the reason why people love me.
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I definitely don’t think it was intentional - like I went into the studio, and I needed to get away from “Boo’d Up.” That definitely wasn’t the plan. I was surprised to hear you come with a B-side type of song as your first single after breaking through with “Boo’d Up.” Was that an intentional move on your part? Ella Mai Recalls the Unexpected Moment When 'Boo'd Up' Debuted on the Hot 100 Chart