ELI DERBY SHARES SMOLDERING “FINE AS U”

Maryland singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Eli Derby shows what he does best on “Fine As U”, out now on Art@War / Warner Records. The new single blends passionate vocals, raw instrumentation, and confidently direct lyrics to create an undeniably smoldering, raw-R&B come-on — a declaration of devotion that’s impossible to ignore.

Produced by GRAMMY® Award winner  Christopher “Deep” Henderson (Jamie Foxx, Mario, Mýa), “Fine As U” turns up the heat as Eli sees something he likes and locks in. As the song builds, the urgency only increases along with his stunning performance as he riffs and goes deeper: “It’s somethin’ that my eyes see / It’s something that my mind believes / It’s something that my heart needs / Girl, you could be all three / Ooh, lawd, can we make a memory?” The flexibility of his two primary instruments is on full display as he weaves through soul, funk, rock, and R&B.

“Fine As U” arrives just weeks after Eli’s flirtatious team-up with Baltimore rapper Bri3, “Pretty Girl Dangerous.” The Source praised the cut as “music that values genuine vulnerability over flatline cynicism [from] an artist who knows exactly how to connect with listeners on a personal level,” while Rival wrote, “[Eli] puts his voice and electric guitar at the service of classic courtship to remind us that falling in love is still worth it.”

In the five weeks since its release, “Pretty Girl Dangerous” has grown into one of Eli’s most-streamed songs to date — surpassing 55,000 Spotify streams and 163,000 Apple Music streams, and landing on five official Apple Music R&B playlists, including “Brown Sugar,” “Mood,” and “Grown N Sexy.” The single has earned SiriusXM support on “The Heat and Heart & Soul,” tallied more than 150 radio spins nationwide led by Washington, D.C.’s DTLR Radio, and surpassed 2,000 Shazams and 2 million TikTok sound views. Its reach has also gone global in the process — London and Tokyo now rank among the song’s top cities worldwide, and Lagos, Nigeria cracks the top five — even as Atlanta remains one of its strongest markets back home.

The pair of summer singles marks Eli’s first new music since building momentum with songs like “Cadillac Dreams” — built on an Etta James interpolation — and “Lately” featuring 6LACK, not to mention sonically searching EPs like Slow Burn, More Than Friends, and Left on Read. Across his burgeoning catalog, Eli’s earned a reputation for blending vulnerable storytelling, live instrumentation, and modern R&B production into songs that feel both personal and relatable.

A self-taught musician who began playing drums, piano, and guitar as a teen, Eli has steadily grown from a local talent into one of the DMV’s most promising new voices, generating nearly 40 million global streams while cultivating a loyal fanbase through intimate live performances and social content.

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