Eli

Songwriter and vocalist Eli takes direct inspiration for her bright and slinky pop songs from early-2000s radio hits and the culture of the era. After exploring various voicings of her songwriting on early singles, she was encouraged by the viral success of nostalgia-drenched tracks like “Marianne” and “Girl of Your Dreams” to commit fully to the influence of early-2000s R&B/commercial pop crossover artists like Mariah Carey, drawing from her childhood memories of watching Hannah Montana and American Idol for her 2025 album Stage Girl. Eli’s stage girl fantasies were brought to life in 2026 with Eli: The One Woman Show, a three-night residency in Los Angeles which featured appearances from Demi Lovato and ADÉLA. Shortly after, she joined award-winning British superstar Sam Smith as the opening act for two dates of their To Be Free residency in San Francisco. An expanded version of the album, Stage Girl (Not A Dream Anymore), landed in 2026, featuring the Zara Larsson collaboration “Crush” on the tracklist.