Elmiene

British singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Elmiene crafts poetic R&B that carries a modern edge alongside an earthy neo-soul sensibility reminiscent of Sampha or Brent Faiyaz. Attention arrived via the agile 2021 single "Golden," paving the way for his first EP, EL-MEAN, which surfaced in the opening months of 2023. Later that year brought further releases including "Someday" and the psychedelic-tinged "Marking My Time." The latter track anchored an EP that was subsequently enlarged into the 2024 set Marking My Time (Again), after which he issued another EP titled Anyway I Can.

Raised in Oxford, Elmiene started composing early, drawn first to poetry and songwriting. His touchstones evolved from 2Pac toward Prince and Stevie Wonder while he refined a personal approach to lyrics and vocals, the latter delivered through a smooth, airy tenor that frequently glides into falsetto. His debut single, "Golden," came out in December 2021, just one week after he first performed it live at the final show mounted by the late Virgil Abloh in Miami. The infectious, rhythm-driven cut generated widespread interest throughout the following year as he previewed his initial EP through varied follow-ups such as the light "Why (Spare Me Tears)" and the stripped-down "Endless No Mores." Both tracks featured on the five-song EL-MEAN EP, issued in March 2023, which prompted a Def Jam signing several months afterward. The polished "Mad at Fire" appeared in June, succeeded by further distinctive offerings such as the Sampha-produced "Mama" and the hallucinatory "Marking My Time." An EP also called Marking My Time was released, and two extra cuts—the Jeff Buckley cover "Lover, You Should've Come Over" plus a BadBadNotGood remix of the title track—were added to the expanded 2024 edition, Marking My Time (Again). Elmiene stayed active for the remainder of the year, unveiling singles such as "Crystal Tears" and "Sweetness," a concert recording titled Live from 525, and his subsequent EP, Anyway I Can, which arrived in October.