Ella Mai Shares Surprise Birthday EP ‘3two’
The release features three brand new songs.
Ella Mai rang in her 32nd birthday on November 6 with a surprise three-song EP, 3two. The new release also arrives alongside an accompanying visualiser, which follows the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter in the studio.
Although 3two dropped without prior fanfare, it wasn’t unexpected. Mai has celebrated her birthday with releases in the past, most notably with the 2024 project 3.
3two is in line with the short, sweet, and romantic spirit of that release: the opening song “Favourite T-Shirt” explores a past relationship through the metaphor of cleaning out her closet. “Over and Over” charts a romance Mai just keeps coming back to, and “All I Know” focuses on showing affection in the moments when words fail.
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All three tracks were produced by her 10 Summers label boss Mustard, who also led production on her most recent album Do You Still Love Me? Released in February, the record marked her third solo LP, and debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200. She supported the album with a 28-date headlining North American tour that kicked off back in July. The shows included her Radio City Music Hall debut—in September, she also took her show to Europe and the UK for performances with Nia Smith and Lizzie Berchie.
Speaking to Vibe about the record back in March, Mai emphasized how much pregnancy and new motherhood (she welcomed her first child this year) influenced her writing process. She said the song “Chasing Circles” specifically “takes me back to that time and really reminds me that, even in the year and a half he’s been alive, how far I’ve come not only as a mom and an artist, but as a human being. It just makes me proud of myself.”
Also in July, Mai shared a music video for the Do You Still Love Me? track “Might Just.” The clip, which paid homage to the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale, featured cameos from Taylor Rooks, Coco Jones, and Ryan Destiny. It was directed by Alfred Marroquin.
