Key Takeaways:

• Ella Mai’s catalog blends classic R&B with modern production, showcasing her vocal versatility across eras.
• Songs like “Trip,” “DFMU” and “Tell Her” reveal her emotional storytelling and vocal control.
• Collaborations with artists like Meek Mill, Usher and Roddy Ricch reveal her range beyond solo records.

When Ella Mai first skyrocketed into the mainstream with 2017’s “Boo’d Up,” she showed immediate promise. The very next year, the British singer-songwriter delivered “Trip,” which became one of the biggest — and debatably most unforgettable — songs of 2018. Over time, she’s set herself apart from other R&B singers in her era, both in how she writes and how she sounds.

Mai’s self-titled debut album captured the spirit of classic R&B while still bringing something new to the table. Each project afterward has expanded upon that vision, with the “A Thousand Times” artist deepening her view of love and, with it, her understanding of herself. Sometimes her voice drifts between verses from rappers like Meek Mill and Roddy Ricch, while other times she’s harmonizing with fellow singers such as Usher, Chris Brown or Kiana Ledé.

Across her catalog, Mai consistently shows she’s adaptable and chameleonic in how she approaches music. With that in mind, Rap-Up revisited 13 songs where she proved her vocals stand in a category of their own.

1. “Tell Her”

Leading up to her third studio album, Do You Still Love Me?, Mai graced us with another Mustard-produced bop: “Tell Her.” A blueprint for shutting down your partner’s lingering ex, the song interpolates Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” on the chorus. In Mai’s words, “You ain't gotta answer any questions when she calls your phone / You need to tell her you with me, she should fall back.”

2. “DFMU”

The second single for Mai’s Heart On My Sleeve, “DFMU,” was one of the “very, very early songs” she cut for the album. Across the three-minute record, she opens up about falling for someone and hoping they don’t hurt you. “You tug-n-warrin' with my heart / Didn't think it'd ever be so hard,” she sings. “Crazy I'm lettin' down my guard / Don't f**k me up, don't let me down.”

3. “Trip”

“Trip” is among Mai’s most recognizable songs for a very good reason: the way her lush vocals glide over the piano-laden instrumental. “Maybe it’s your love, it’s too good to be true / Baby boy, your love, got me trippin’ on you,” she floats across the gentle keys. While the track inspired remixes from some R&B favorites — particularly Jacquees — there’s no denying how great the original still sounds.

4. “24/7” with Meek Mill

Sampling Beyoncé’s “Me, Myself and I,” Meek Mill brought in Mai as the perfect finishing touch for “24/7,” on which she promises she’ll “give it to you night and day,” all week long. Between her chorus and that breath-taking bridge, it’s honestly a shame more rappers don’t call on the London-born singer to float between their verses more often.

5. “10,000 Hours”

Mai finds inspiration in some of the most interesting places. On “10,000 Hours,” she takes Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule and flips it into the idea of “mastering love.” She sings, “Why you always take so long to call me? / Know I gotta wake up in the mornin' / You know every second adds up to a minute / Need 10,000 hours.”

6. “Little Things”

One of the three tracks fans got on her 30th birthday EP, 3, “Little Things” is nothing short of perfect. It celebrates the small ways people express love, whether filling the tub with hot water or jotting down a goodbye note before a trip. If anything, Mai’s relationship with NBA star Jayson Tatum inspired some joyful, upbeat songs worth playing on repeat.

7. “Boo’d Up”

If there’s anyone who knows how to make an aspirational anthem about being head over heels for your person, it’s Mai. You have to appreciate how silky her voice sounds from start to finish on both the original “Boo’d Up” and the remix with Nicki Minaj and Quavo. There’s a reason our hearts collectively went "ba-dum, boo'd up, biddy-da-dum, boo'd up" once the record took off.

8. “How” with Roddy Ricch

Roddy Ricch is one of the few rappers who consistently bring out something special in Mai, thanks in part to all the time both of them have spent in Mustard’s studio over the years. On their first collaboration, “How,” the two ask how someone they loved could switch up on them at their lowest.

Thankfully, it’s an Ella Mai song and not the other way around, so we get her carrying much of the heartbreak while Ricch comes through with a supportive guest verse. As she reminds us, “Can't let these heartless, broken boys win, no.”

9. “Naked”

No, “Naked” isn’t about being bare in the literal sense — unless you want to take it that way — but about being accepted for who you are, whether you’re all dressed up or not at all. “Are you ready to fight just to see what's lost behind my flaws?” she questions. “Naked” drives home the idea that there really are people who will love us, flaws and all.

10. “Whatchamacallit” with Chris Brown

The production on “Whatchamacallit” pulls Mai out of her comfort zone and, at that point in her career, into a space we hadn’t really seen her explore instrumentally. Over slow-burning synths and percussion reminiscent of 2014’s “Loyal,” the Grammy Award-winning singers flirt with the idea of infidelity: “It ain't cheating / Girl, it's a whatchamacallit.”

Somehow, when it's Mai and Breezy handling the vocals, cheating sounds a little tempting (not that we're encouraging it!). Luckily, the pair have given us a few less controversial tracks, too: “This X-Mas” and “Sex Memories.”

11. “Shot Clock”

If you needed more evidence that Mai knows how to borrow from records people already adore and turn them into something of her own, just look at how she interpolated Drake’s “Legend” on “Shot Clock.” Across the standout from her self-titled album, she warns her suitor to step up before the chance slips away for good. At the end of the day, Mai has “about a hundred things” she could be doing instead of wasting her time on him.

12. “Don’t Waste My Time” with Usher

Usher’s “Don’t Waste My Time” might not be Mai’s greatest R&B collaboration, but it is a great display of how she holds her own next to someone whose vocal range stretches very far. They trade verses over pop-leaning production courtesy of Bryan-Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri, while the accompanying music video has them throwing a full house party. “Don’t Waste My Time” turned out to be a more upbeat number from the two R&B stars.

13. “Not Another Love Song”

Is it too soon to say I’m in love? Mai wrestles with the idea of whether letting her emotions show will ruin a good thing. On one hand, the other person may like her back, but on the other, maybe they don't feel that same spark. “I don't wanna mess this up / Could it be too much to say I'm in—,” she croons over production from Boi-1da, Jahaan Sweet and The Rascals.