Singer Elle charts a vision for Jamaican pop

For rising singer-songwriter Elle, finding her sound means blending influences rather than staying within one lane. She describes herself as a “fusion artiste” and part of a “new wave”, with hopes of creating music that reflects Jamaica while reaching listeners beyond the island.

“I like to call it J-pop, like how there is K-pop. I like to call it J-pop,” she told The Gleaner when asked how she would describe the sound she is developing.

In Elle’s usage, ‘J-pop’ refers to Jamaican pop, rather than the Japanese popular music genre typically associated with the term. She uses it to describe her vision for a sound that draws from different influences while remaining rooted in her identity.

“Elle is a ball of light, a ball of sunshine. Elle is a lover of music,” she said when asked to introduce herself to fans.

She continued, “Elle is a new wave of music coming into Jamaica and coming out of Jamaica and just wanting to take this new sound that I would like to bring global.”

Although she has been pursuing music professionally for only about two years, she describes herself as someone who has been singing for as long as she can remember.

“I’m definitely one of those pop-out-of-the-womb-singing kind of girls,” she added. Her catalogue currently includes songs like Short And Sweet and Sugar Cane.

Outside of music, she has found other ways to express herself, including through dance and styling. Away from the creative work, she enjoys reading, spending time with animals and trips to the beach.

“I love lots of things. I love life,” she added.

The young artiste is preparing to expand her catalogue with a series of releases, beginning with an upcoming single set for release in early January.

Though the title of the track is being kept under wraps for now, the song will introduce another chapter in Elle’s musical journey as she prepares for the release of her debut EP, With Love.

Elle, who is also withholding the exact release date, revealed that the project is expected in early 2027.

“I do [have a date], but I’m not going to tell you yet,” she teased with a laugh.

The EP will continue to explore the fusion of sounds and influences that shape her musical identity. Elle is also promising collaborations, with “one or two people” expected to feature in her upcoming work. Beyond performing alongside other artistes, she said she has some interesting collaborations in the works from a songwriting and production perspective.

For an emerging artiste, Elle’s approach shows that she is interested not only in being the face of her music but in developing a broader creative identity around it. Her ambitions also extend beyond Jamaica, with hopes of bringing her evolving sound to international audiences and contributing to a new generation of Jamaican music.

When asked about a fact that might surprise fans, Elle shared that she lived in Thailand for two years.

With her EP on the horizon and an upcoming single set for release in January, Elle is looking to build on the sound she has begun to develop.

o’brian.wynter@gleanerjm.com