![]() ![]() Not too long ago (Mai is only 23), she was determined to be a professional soccer player. ![]() Mai not only rejects this double standard, but shatters it, reconstructing the pieces into her own voice, to the benefit of herself and her fans. There are things to say, ways to look, and omnipresent but nebulous pressures to be a ”Lady.” In contemporary culture, this feels like an especially off-base and antiquated expectation.Īnd yet, the general public still expects this from woman musicians, and women in the public eye as a whole. As a woman, she feels that she is judged more harshly and pressured to be a role model, not only as a successful artist, but also as a person. When I asked her what that meant to her, she responded simply, “the role that men and women play in the industry.” The industry is, of course, music-specifically R&B and hip-hop, where she has quickly skyrocketed to notoriety and is well on the way to global fame. We quickly got to talking about double standards. The vibe was more sleepover than after party, more self-care than show off. The coffee table, and most of the other surfaces in the room, was covered in snacks, candy, teas and soft drinks. Mai, however, sat curled on the sofa beside a blanket and pillows. Her manager and hair and make-up team sat in the bedroom, preparing for a photo-shoot that same afternoon. The significance of this isn’t lost on me whatsoever, and I couldn’t seem to shake the comparison as I stepped into the cramped suite. ![]() She is the first woman to top three R&B/Hip-Hop radio charts since Beyoncé did in 2012. Also, if her past couple of years are at all indicative of what’s to come, this is the kind of experience I will want to remember for sheer bragging rights. I find there is often more truth in what surrounds a person-be it material things, people, or (if you’ll indulge me) an aura-than anything a person could offer as far as self explanation. Walking into Ella Mai’s Santa Monica hotel room to interview her, I couldn’t help but mentally note each thing in her temporary abode. ![]()
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