If you’re not familiar with the English songstress that is Ella Mai – it’s time to get acquainted.
View this post on Instagram
The 27-year-old has been the voice behind so many love tales, starting with her 2017 debut single, “Boo’d Up.” Followed by hits like “Trip.” And her most recent single, “DFMU.”
View this post on Instagram
In celebration of the release of her sophomore album, “Heart On My Sleeve,” Mai sat down with Vogue to recap the evolution of her signature tresses, and even pay homage to fellow songstress, Beyoncé.
“Growing up, especially for me, I would always just see people with straight hair and I would always want my hair straight,” she shared. “I didn’t see a lot of curly-haired women in magazines or on TV.”
“So I think for me, it was something that I didn’t even realize and I just wanted straight hair,” she continued. “Cause I think you just think that that makes you ‘prettier.’ But nowadays, I think being natural is so much more appreciated.”
From there, Mai and her hair stylist Kahh Spence, jumped right into recreating Beyoncé’s iconic updo. And she even shared her thoughts on the veteran-status star.
View this post on Instagram
“I just really like that era of Beyoncé,” Spence shared. “I mean I like every era, but that one specifically – it was so clean, so effortless, so beautiful. And it was a great time for music. It was a great time for fashion. And it was a great time to have fun and play around and experiment.”
“I love Beyoncé,” Mai proclaimed. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that doesn’t. I think it’s impossible not to.”
“I think she’s just so inspirational, not even just music wise – just if you look up the legacy of her career,” Mai stated. “And obviously, it’s still going.”
“When you look at Beyoncé, she’s definitely someone [that] you look at in eras,” she continued. “And I think that’s so important as an artist, especially when you start from young and people grow with you. She’s incredible at what she does.”
View this post on Instagram
Spence achieved the look by blow drying Mai’s hair, following up with flat-ironing, and adding in some length with mixed colored extensions.
Next, he added in some curls for dimension, shaped Mai’s face with bangs – and voila! Beyonce’s iconic ‘B’Day’ updo was reborn!