Elmiene has returned with a new single “Mama” via Polydor/Def Jam Recordings. First premiered by Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds, the confessional track was co-written and produced with Sampha and sees Elmiene baring his soul.
On the track, he reckons with his imperfect existence, asking: “Would you mourn a sinner mama? Could you love my demons mama?”
“Mama,” co-produced by Seph and Michael Barney, is accompanied by a visualizer in Paris, with the artwork shot in Marseille last month by Pierre Girardin and creative direction by Nicolas Poilot. It follows recent Polydor/Def Jam Recordings debut “Mad At Fire”—co-written with Syd (The Internet)—and his impressive debut EP El-Mean, released independently this past spring.
Despite having only released a handful of songs, the 21-year-old, Oxford-based artist has already made huge waves in the music scene. His 2021 track “Golden” went viral after Benji B handpicked it to soundtrack Virgil Abloh’s final Louis Vuitton show. He was invited again by Benji B to perform alongside Robert Glasper and Yasiin bey for Louis Vuitton in Paris, Elmiene’s first live show ever.
Since then, he has appeared on critically acclaimed albums by Stormzy and Lil Silva, performed at Glastonbury and made his TV debut on Later… With Jools Holland. Known for his captivating live performances, Elmiene tickets continue to stay in high demand. This year alone, he has sold out two dates at Ellen’s Bar at Koko, then followed with a third headline show at Hoxton Hall. This fall, he will also be launching his North American tour with stops in Toronto, New York City, and Los Angeles.
Vogue have described him as “set to take over in 2023,” Benji B nominated him to appear in GQ’s “your favorite artist’s favorite artist,” and Pigeons & Planes included him on their “best new artists” list.
