Proving that televised talent competitions like X-Factor aren't the final bastion of pop music gatekeeping, feisty London-based singer songwriter Ella Mai may not have advanced beyond the TV show's 2016 season initial auditions, but she stuck to her guns and released a solo EP on Soundcloud independently that same year. Her determination paid off and she signed with American producer DJ Mustard, breaking into the mainstream with Billboard Hot 100 Top Five track 'Boo'd Up' in early 2018.