Ejay Mallard.
Houston, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2018 | INDIE
Music
Press
Whew do we have a song for you. Houston based vocalist Ejay Mallard has a growing catalog and his latest release ‘Better’ is a straight gem. The booming R&B effort covers the “psyche of a man moving beyond a broken relationship.” The raw emotion showed on the vocal performance here is really a charm and the booming drums on the production really add volume to this one. With his debut album High Hopes due out sometime in the near future, ‘Better’ has us extremely intrigued for what is to come. - Fashionably Early
Bouncing back after his successful EP Waco , Ejay Mallard has returned with another R&B staple. With the full intent to secure your heart and attention, “High Hopes” depicts the on-again-off-again relationship Ejay Mallard finds himself in. Battling with insecurities, trust issues, and the anxieties that come with Ejay Mallard uses an elusive and commanding melody to find himself pleading and begging with his companion. LA & Houston have been the settings to be life’s greatest teachers for Ejay. The cities provide much-needed joy and pain that helps mold him into a young man that carries hate in his vision but love in his heart. Through the classic tale of good vs evil lies a young man trying to overcome the struggles of his relationship while attempting to find its beauty. Ejay Mallard is not only an extraordinary artist but a very intriguing individual as well. His mannerisms, the way he moves, speaks, and his outlooks on life make him seem almost as if he’s been here before. With “High Hopes”, Ejay Mallard embraces his own insecurities in relationships and transforms that pain into music everyone can relate to. - Elevator
On the heels of a successful debut single from his upcoming album with “High Hopes”, Ejay Mallard follows up with a deep dive into the psyche of a man moving beyond a broken relationship. While “High Hopes” paints a picture of the anxiety that lingers ahead of getting invested in new love, “Better” conveys the balance between growing from the hurt of a past lover and looking to replace the positive moments they filled in your life. Also standing in as a metaphor for his growth in his artistry, Ejay is driven to get better with every release and this sombre ballad is a testimony to the raw transparency taking centre stage in his new music.
Even in a hot summer filled with sunshine’s embrace can’t erase the shadow of loneliness that surrounds the mind after losing a person that meant the world to you. That void often cements itself as an obstacle to progress, but Ejay Mallard speaks both to his scorned lover and to himself as a reminder that he is “good..great..better without you.” A reminder that our worth is never defined by anybody outside of ourselves.
After “High Hopes” produced 31.1k+ fans just in the month of May, 125% more than the month before, Ejay Mallard seeks to make his name known in the R&B world with “Better.” Over euphoric production, Ejay wants to let his fans know “in order to advance to the next level in life, there will be some people who can’t go with you.” And once that empty weight is gone, you’ll realize how better off you are without them. - H-WING
Rhythm and blues rookie and 2018 alumnus Ejay Mallard released his new single “High Hopes” on Good Friday, foreshadowing the release of his upcoming album, “Traumatized.” His release date reached the ears of underground music lovers not only around campus, but around the country as well.
The single, publicized heavily on Mallard’s Twitter page, received praise from listeners. Many tweeted the song’s chorus lyrics, and praise such as “the man has done it again,” “if you’re not listening to this then what are you doing?,” and “No hype, everyone on the timeline needs to listen to this right now!”
His other singles, “Drake and Drive.,” “Rose Petal Picking.” and “I Still Pray for You.” have gained over a quarter of a million streams on Apple Music, Spotify, and Soundcloud.
Dallas senior Emeka Nzeakor is a producer, audio engineer and DJ. Nzeakor collaborated with Mallard on the new album and spoke on how different the themes and sounds compare to his previous album, “Waco.,” released in 2018.
“I think that compared to his previous music, this is the most real side of him and the story he’s gone through,” Nzeakor said. “It’s going to cover some sounds and some parts of the world that many listeners are not going to be used to, but at the same time, it will stay true to the R&B format.”
In addition to the gospel and soul undertones, Mallard and Nzeakor incorporated African rhythms and beats, common in rhythm and blues genre but not often an explicit sound in the genre today.
When asked about the inspiration of his new album, Mallard spoke about how the songs narrate his struggles during college, coping with anxiety and the struggle of being explicitly vulnerable while still holding to his Christian beliefs.
“This is just a recap of my life in college that shaped me into who I am. In comparison to previous songs and albums, this album is definitely more honest and open,” Mallard said. “I’m hoping this album will propel my career to a higher level.”
A former worship leader at Highland Baptist Church, Mallard said he struggled with the decision to include explicit language in his songs. After much consideration, he decided to take a chance on writing lyrics that showcased the candid emotions he was feeling during the darkest times of his life.
“I wanted to keep it as raw and rugged and as edgy as it was,” Mallard said. “It wasn’t poetic when it happened. It wasn’t a lullaby. When it happened it was cursing, screaming and arguing. I wanted each song to capture the commotion.”
Mallard said writing music in an honest manner became a coping mechanism for his anxiety and being able to be honest with himself and his audience gives him artistic freedom that he believes will resonate with listeners.
“I’ve always used music as a coping mechanism. So when I write and record these songs, I’m not doing it for family or friends, or any extraneous fans. I’m doing it for me,” Mallard said.
Following his graduation, Mallard was finally able to focus exclusively on his music and the direction of his career. This time of reflection refocused him, and allowed him to hone his individual style and sound.
“I think Ejay had a lot of time to think about his music in general, which is something I think he’s needed for a while,” Nzeakor said. “I think people are really in for a treat as far as the variety they are going to hear, and the fact that Baylor students aren’t making music in that style.”
Mallard’s manager, Reggie Singletary, described the album’s marketing plan and newly released music video for “High Hopes” as a manifestation of the artist’s focus and creativity.
“I love how he’s been focusing on building his foundation of support in Waco. That can only drive him to further, more expansive success,” Singletary said. “This year will be huge for him, and his music will be the soundtrack for broken hearts and sad nights.”
The album “Traumatized” is predicted to be released early this fall. Until then, his music can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music by searching Ejay Mallard. Official release dates will be posted via his Instagram @ejaymallard. - The Baylor Lariat
Ejay Mallard is a R&B artist currently living in Houston, TX. He’s trying to develop a sound that he hasn’t been heard in Houston yet. Houston is where Ejay makes his best music and he wants to do his best to develop the R&B scene within Houston, TX. Ejay started making music a year and a half ago. Growing up, Ejay always knew he wanted to sing and make music. His parents paved the way by ensuring he grew up in a church setting. This created a Gospel/R&B infused sound. - The Woods Magazine
Bio
Ejay Mallard is a product of Houston all the way. The twenty-four-year-old singer-songwriter would spend his childhood listening to some of the most influential musicians of the 2000s, including Timbaland, Usher, and Justin Timberlake. He fostered a love for R&B from that point onward, eventually pursuing music himself later on in life. Over the four years he spent in Waco for college, Ejay would obtain a computer science degree and release his debut EP, named after the very city that offered him so much inspiration. The single before its release, “Drake & Drive,” garnered millions of streams as music media such as Elevator Magazine and Fashionably Early featured him on their website. Ejay quickly became known for his airy yet powerful voice and his majestic range over equally atmospheric, modern R&B instrumentals.
He would begin studying UX design at the University of Baltimore for grad school and weave more elements of music and technology together. A destructive relationship that caused him to reflect on his journey up until that point led to his second project, the aptly titled Traumatized. A deeper and darker dive into his psyche than his first project, singles like “High Hopes” and “Better” showed Ejay had refined his sound with heavier bass and more trap-flavored production in addition to sharpening his vocal cords and adapting his range accordingly. His lyrics became more personal and his fans responded with positive reviews, as these records were some of Ejay’s most successful to date.
Ejay's third project, due in the Spring of 2021, sees the old and the new collide in a melting pot of creativity. While the sound returns to Ejay’s roots of 2000s nostalgia from the R&B genre, he also brings further his collegiate background to create an interactive album experience, allowing fans to vote on his social media platforms for artwork and colorways down to instrumentals and hooks they want to hear on the project. Ejay Mallard is a young talent that embraces every obstacle with open arms and creates heartfelt tunes with poise and creativity. Whether it's his signature red balloons or his eccentric yet entertaining energy, when it comes to making an impact in the R&B community, Ejay Mallard has surely been around the block a few times.
Links
