Elmiene - Marking My Time (Again) (2024) [Hi-Res]

British singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Elmiene makes poetic R&B with a contemporary tone and organic neo-soul feel in the vein of Sampha or Brent Faiyaz. After gaining notice with the nimble 2021 single "Golden," he released his debut EP, EL-MEAN, in early 2023. Additional singles like "Someday" and the psychedelic-leaning "Marking My Time" followed later in the year.

Growing up in Oxford, Elmiene began writing at a young age, gravitating to poetry and lyrics. His influences developed from 2Pac to Prince and Stevie Wonder as he nurtured his own lyrical and vocal style, which is a smooth, airy tenor that often dips into falsetto. Elmiene released his debut single, "Golden," in December 2021, a week after premiering it live at the late Virgil Abloh's final show in Miami. The catchy, percussive track earned Elmiene plenty of buzz over the coming year as he began teasing his first EP with eclectic follow-up singles like the breezy "Why (Spare Me Tears)" and the acoustic ballad "Endless No Mores." Both appeared on the five-song EL-MEAN EP, released in March 2023, and led to Elmiene signing with Def Jam a few months later. The silky "Mad at Fire" arrived in June, followed by a succession of interesting singles like the Sampha-produced "Mama" and the trippy "Marking My Time." © Timothy Monger