R&B artist ELHAE has returned to his roots with his newest album: Forgotten Flowers. A statement of his power as a newly independent artist, Forgotten Flowers is a love letter to artistic creation and the fans who have enjoyed his genuine style of music-making over the years.
A Different Kind of Rapper
Jamaal Jones, the Atlanta-based artist behind ELHAE—”Every Life Has An Ending”— has early singing roots in church choir. Eventually getting to love the world of rap, he began releasing independent singles from 2013 to 2015. These experimental songs such as “Star” and “A.N.O” would set the groundwork for ELHAE’s soulful, alternative R&B. After getting signed with Atlantic, he would release the wildly successful “All Have Fallen” in 2016, which peaked at #47 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. After shuffling around the music industry for a while, ELHAE went on to win two Dove Awards for collaborating with Andy Mineo’s “Uncomfortable” and Tedashii’s “This Time Around,” as well as numerous rap giants such as Rick Ross and Ty Dolla $ign.
A Return To Form
ELHAE’s newest album is a testament to how much he has matured as an artist as well as a person. As of last month, ELHAE has decided to cut ties with the broader music industry for now, going back to being an independent artist.
“I think it’s time. … I’ve come to a greater understanding of who I am, and this year I face my fears head on,” ELHAE said in an Instagram post. “I love music. I’m in love with the process, and I’m in love with the lightness in my step when I truly get out what I want to say through song. The problem I ran into early into my career is giving too many people the power in my flowers. So today, and so on, I don’t care. … I know my music will reach the hearts and the ears of those it’s supposed to.”
ELHAE’s newest album definitely delivers on this sentiment. Heartfelt lyrics such as: “I been dealing with your demons / Now you wanna up and leave mе? / What about the love we sharеd and all your secrets?” are indicative of the passionate and deeply emotional state of ELHAE’s career and artistry. From the despairing heartbreak evoked in “The Surface,” to the attention-seeking tale of “Check On Me,” ELHAE is brooding, introspective, and zealous.
