Rick Ross, Masego & More Assist Elhae on Motown Debut, Aura III

Today, rising singer/songwriter Elhae releases his highly anticipated Motown debut, Aura III. Renowned for his forward-thinking reimagining of R&B and rap, the Georgia-raised artist adds more layers to his singular sound on Aura III, delivering sensual songs that are emotionally, sonically, and narratively rich. With features from Masego, Rick Ross, and Xavier Omar, as well as a host of top-tier producers like D’Mile (The Carters, Ty Dolla $ign, Victoria Monet), Aura III feels like an album that will play in bedrooms, clubs, and cars for generations.

On Aura III, Elhae uses his melodic, mesmerizing vocals and progressive production to create textured songs for every occasion. “You Know” is an island-tinged jam primed for slow winds in dimly lit clubs. “Separated” is a pained song about a necessary romantic split. “Fun Fact,” which features Grammy-nominated rapper Rick Ross, is both a tender request for physical intimacy and an avowal of self-confidence. The Masego-assisted single “My City” remains a standout. A lounge-leaning slice of downtempo soul with touches of jazz, the C Gutta-produced track finds Elhaedelivering smooth come-ons to the woman of his desire: “If you say that you want it, you got it, it’s all in the fine print / Gotta be flexible, that’s my only requirement.”

Aura III marks the next phase of Elhae’s already remarkable career. In addition to garnering glowing praise from The Fader, Billboard, Vibe, The Source, and more, Elhae was part of Sprite’s P.O.U.R. (Purveyors of Urban Reality)program. His 2016 album All Have Fallen produced hits like “Doesn’t Matter” (feat. Kehlani) and “Needs,” which has over 20 million Spotify streams. 2017’s Aura II EP boasted the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted “Bang Your Line,” which adds to its 24 million Spotify streams every day. Outside his solo work, Elhae has collaborated with stars like Lecrae and Eric Bellinger. Following his 2018 Coachella performance, he released his conceptual album Trouble in Paradise (2019). As he releases Aura III, Elhae seems clearly poised to garner more accolades and (when it’s time) reach even bigger stages.

About Elhae:

North Dakota-born and Georgia-raised singer, artist, and visionary ELHAE approaches R&B like a film director would, choosing every element carefully, ensuring an intricate level of cohesion, and building his own world. Since catching fire in 2015 on the independent Aura EP, he worked towards eventually architecting such a world. The follow-up All Have Fallen yielded fan favorites such as “Doesn’t Matter” [feat Kehlani] and “Needs,” which clocked 20 million-plus Spotify streams. In between, he garnered glowing praise from the likes of The Fader, Billboard, Vibe, The Source, and more as Sprite named him among its P.O.U.R. (Purveyors of Urban Reality) program. The 2017 sequel to Aura — the Aura II EP — boasted “Drama,” “Something,” and the popular “Bang Your Line” [feat. Ty Dolla $ign]. The latter ignited 24 million Spotify streams and counting. Meanwhile, he lent his voice to high-profile collaborations with Lecrae, Eric Bellinger, and many others in addition to supporting blackbear on tour.

2018 saw him grace the stage of Coachella for the first time in front of 40,000 fans as he diligently worked on new tunes in Los Angeles, Miami, and Atlanta. Inspired by childhood favorite albums such as Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet, and Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, he developed an airtight vision with a detailed plotline for his next release. In 2019, the vision unfolds over the course of his twelve-track conceptual project, Trouble In Paradise [Atlantic Records], introduced by the intoxicating first single “Hennessy.” His sound is about to blow up on the biggest canvas possible now.

Featured Image Credit: Siwoo Lee

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.