Elle Mona’e is an artist you may know without realizing it. She was featured as a Bombshell on season 2 of the Netflix series, Too Hot to Handle and became a favorite amongst viewers. Now, she’s expanded to the music world to give her supporters a different side of herself with something she’s very passionate about.
Elle’s song “Land of Groove” is aptly titled. The track, which captures pop and dance grooves through an ethereal space-like lens, is one meant to be enjoyed by a variety of audiences. She coaches listeners through her dance step inspired lyrics on the song, a classic technique used in the dance songs we’ve been playing at social events for decades.
With Elle falling in love with the production of the song during the song creation process, it’s no wonder that it has such an infectious sonic atmosphere. Written alongside a songwriter who understood her vision, Elle had fun making the song and wants people to have just as much fun listening to it.
“I told him my whole vibe was fun. I wanted people of all ages to be able to dance to this. I wanted it to be a truly feel-good song. We bounced some ideas around and that’s how ‘Land of Groove’ came to be.” she said.
This track is actually a re-release but this time around, Elle has a new sense of confidence behind her music. She knows the audience is there for it and now her time has come to capitalize on it.
“I was proud of myself the first time I released the track. I really enjoy making something from my own talents and seeing it come to fruition and completion. But, now, I have even more confidence because I know there’s an audience for it and I know how to continue to give them more of what they want from me. This time around, I’m even more excited.” she said.
While “Land of Groove” is in the dance pop lane, Elle’s next release is an empowering R&B track titled “Can’t Lose.” With music being a new endeavor for Elle and having an introverted personality, she’s ready to continue to share parts of herself at her own pace through her music. Additionally, her goal with her music is to provide listeners a variety of genres and musical atmospheres, which will all still be parts of her authentic self.
The world of reality TV and the music industry often seem like places where navigating them comes with a multitude of strategies, plans, emotions and everything in between. For Elle, while the reality TV world did lead to brands sending her items, being invited to events and of course, her social media presence growing, there was still a sense of fulfillment she was looking for.
“In the reality TV world, all you have to do is really look good and be a good person and I already knew how to do that well. After getting all the items and opportunities, I just sat back and wanted something more out of it all. I wanted to do something that was truly for me and allowed me to showcase myself more. I wanted to present a part of myself to others instead of just receiving things.” she said.
Entering the music world was a task that Elle took on and she knew she was going to take it on with full motivation and determination.
“When you have a talent that you enjoy sharing with others and you can simultaneously make a profit from it, that opens up a completely different lane for you.” she said.
While Too Hot to Handle was the catapult for Elle into the eyes of Netflix viewers and more, she already had a different audience before then. She’s the founder of The Stardust Boutique, a unisex brand that specializes in Zodiac and based apparel, jewelry and cosmetics. Once again, capitalizing on the moment was the key for her and led to an opportunity she never expected to receive.
“During the pandemic, I capitalized on the fact people were sitting at home and on social media even more than before. I started working with my graphic designer, posting more and working with influencers. I really just wanted to increase my online presence which would in turn help my business reach more success. A casting agent for the show reached out to me after seeing one of the posts and I saw it as an opportunity to expand my brand. And now I have expanded it and it’s still evolving even more.” she said.
In the near future, Elle has plans to release an EP which will also be titled Stardust. She also plans to continue expanding and building on everything she’s been doing with music being at the center of it all. This new chapter is just getting started for Elle Mona’e and she plans to keep everything with it aligned and authentic.
“Land of Groove” by Elle Mona’e is available on streaming services now.