Get out of the way, here comes ellie d.

Ever since she went full viral thanks to her collaboration with Rando in their cover of “Passionfruit” by Drake, ellie d. (yes it’s always all lowercase) has been gaining some huge momentum worthy of notice and respect, and so we had to pay our dues and clue in our readers as to why they should either jump in with her or get out of the way.

The L.A. native breathes and lives that Cali vibe, often by adding those hints of chillaxed bohemian guitar plucks that sound like the breezy pacific coast. Hers is a brand of emotional electro-pop that feels far more familiar upon first impressions than it actually is, because just underneath its surface there lies a degree of approachability and lyrical intimacy that is belied by the glossy sheen of the sparkly, groovy exterior.

Not a stranger to letting bare her emotions for her audience, ellie often sings about the little complications that make a big mess out of life, the little broken romances and disillusions that trace wounds and scars on the souls of many; hers included. ellie's newest release is called "Get In The Way", and it tackles a transitional stage of the post-breakup process in which you're trying to move on with your life, but the memories of your ex are still far too fresh and the intents of the relationship simply cause friction with the world you're trying to relate to."The perfect guy might be right in front of you, but that one person in your head is still getting in the way," she says ". Right after the breakup, I was in NY and I went out with some friends. A really cute boy was hitting on me, yet I was so zoned out. I just kept seeing my ex’s face and couldn’t focus on anyone else. So we wrote, “Get In The Way” a few days later" reveals ellie of the writing process.

The song clearly offers some measure of closure or at least a balm for the aches upon her. The retelling of a process that more or less everyone goes through at least once in their lives is told with a lot of lyrical vibrancy, showing her and her collaborators know how to coax a beautiful, honest and intimate portrayal of vulnerability in ways that still serve to dignify, elevate and mend. The music itself is a deceptively straightforward alternative electro-pop ballad with just enough elegant string-wrought complexities to liven the sound texture up to create something that strides the line between mellow and sufficiently dynamic, a reasonably bittersweet soundscape so as not to bog things down in just emo gloom.

if anything, ellie d's million-plus Spotify streams paint a clear picture of the caliber and potential that this young woman has on her side. Her heartfelt songs and catchy melodic qualities position her as a serious talent that is readily able to make meaningful emotional connections with her listeners with ease, and this is a bit of a recurrent theme with a lot of the artists we've been featuring for a while, making her an exemplary case of someone who's doing all the right things and has all the right qualities put out great records and pull in huge audiences eager to feel the warmth such artists are capable of.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.