Berlin-based neo-soul singer songwriter ELLE MB shares her new single ‘roleplay’, out everywhere on 14 July.

ELLE MB is the moniker of classically trained vocalist Lina M.B. A native Berliner, she grew up in West Berlin in the early 2000s and spent her childhood being exposed to all genres of music. She found her teenage-self listening and dancing along to the iconic soundwaves of Lauryn Hill, D‘Angelo and James Blake, and those influences shine through in her own music.

ELLE MB’s music oscillates between the genres of Pop, Neo-Soul and contemporary R’n’B with a sprinkle of jazz-harmony and a soft spot for detailed sound-design. On ‘Roleplay’, Lina’s distinctively velvety vocals take centre stage alongside a driving live drum groove and airy open guitar chords, and lyrically explore personal damage from previous relationships and how we can re-develop communication, goodwill, and trust within new healthy relationships.

Speaking of the track, Lina says, “With every song it’s kind of different but almost every song yet started with me and my producing band (Raphael, Konstantin, Paul) jamming in our studio in Berlin-Neukölln. So them grooving with their instruments, gentle bassline, soft amped guitar chords from Konstantin, piano or synth lines from Paul and percussion from Raphael get me into the creative zone immediately. So also with this release it was a mixture of sounds that we create in the studio that just project a vibe and my subconsciousness that deals with topics and drops words while vocal melodies find their way out of my mouth.

When it was clear that ‘roleplay’ will be the key word and maybe even the title, I instantly connected it to a feeling of not being able to be your truest self in relationships and how this can be damaging but also how beautiful it is to open up to people with good intentions, more understanding and healthy communication.

I figured out that ‘roleplay’ for me kind of stands for a recurring role I was playing in previous relationships, romantic relationships but also friendships. But knowing you made mistakes in the past doesn’t mean you can do it better the next day. So there are still some leftover coping mechanisms, patterns and old wounds that need to heal. But then finding yourself in a healthy relationship is a process to fully accept but is so beautiful if you’re able to open up and let it happen.”