JAEL RELEASES NEW EP “MAMA SAYS”
Jael releases her debut EP ‘Mama Says’ via Capitol Records. To stream the music, click here.
Mama Says is a five-track introduction to Jael’s world, blending timeless R&B with deeply personal songwriting and soulful, understated production.
Opening with ‘Prisoner of Love’, Jael immediately establishes the emotional landscape of the EP. A classic R&B ballad, the track explores the magnetic tension between love and longing. ‘DUI’, written alongside acclaimed producer and songwriter Eg White (Adele, Sam Smith, Florence + The Machine), expands that emotional palette without sacrificing restraint. Lyrically sharp and quietly confrontational, the song captures the intoxicating feeling of repeatedly returning to someone you know you should leave behind. Also written with Eg White, ‘Hallowed Ground’ is Jael’s most personal release to date. Inspired by a deeply personal experience, the track is a poignant meditation on unresolved grief, showcasing her ability to turn vulnerability into something both intimate and universally resonant. While ‘Don’t Make Me Like You Again’, shifts the focus to letting someone back in. Honest and self-aware, the track explores the internal battle between protecting yourself and falling for someone. Closing the EP, track ‘Mama Says’ brings the project full circle, reflecting on the advice passed down through generations about choosing the right partner leaving listeners with the EP’s central message: that sometimes the people who know us best have already seen the lessons we’re still learning.
In her own words Jael comments, “To be releasing my first EP means the absolute world to me and I really feel like it is the start of my life adventure. I love all of the songs on the EP, but I am really emotionally attached to “Mama Says”. I have loved this song so much from the moment I wrote it with Kurisu, and the first time I played it to my mum she burst into tears. My family have supported me so much over the last year with everything that has happened, including moving to the other side of the world – it’s been incredible highs… mixed in with the lows of missing the people who mean the most. Huge huge thank you to all of my dream team – I wish I could put into words how grateful I am for you all. And I hope “Mama Says” makes Mama and you all proud too, and I hope my fans fall in love with it like I did. x”
With a voice that commands attention from the very first note, Jael arrives with striking emotional clarity. Powerful yet restrained, her vocals linger long after the song ends, carrying lyrics that feel both deeply personal and universally understood. Her influences reflect that gravitation toward vocal truth: Lauryn Hill’s depth, Alicia Keys’ piano-led honesty, Adele’s restraint, Jorja Smith’s tonal individuality. “I love how raw some of their music is,” Jael says. “Not too much production. Just the voice and the lyrics.”
Raised in Melbourne, in a musically enriched household, Jael grew up surrounded by gospel, soul and Congolese influences. Her father, who taught himself piano in Congo before rebuilding his life in Australia, now creates music alongside her, a full-circle collaboration that sits quietly at the heart of her artistry. Looking ahead, her ambitions are grounded in connection. She wants to tour intimately and expansively, and perform her original music live for the first time. She wants to continue releasing music that prioritises voice, story, and emotional truth.
Jael is not rushing toward an image of who she should be. She is becoming who she already is: an artist shaped by lineage, faith, feeling, grounded in family, and guided by a voice that refuses to hide. This is not the sound of someone chasing attention. It is the sound of someone answering a calling she’s known since she was four years old.
EP TRACKLIST
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Prisoner of Love
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DUI
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Hallowed Ground
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Don’t Make Me Like You
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Mama Says
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