Grammy-winning singer Ella Mai is set to take the stage at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans this Friday, August 7, bringing her "Do You Still Love Me?" tour to the city's historic downtown corridor. The stop celebrates her third studio album of the same name, a project that follows the success of her single "Little Things" and continues her run as one of R&B's most consistent hitmakers.
According to WGNO, Ella Mai is still best known for her mega-hit "Boo'd Up," the song that first put her on the map, and she recently released the "Waiting to Exhale"-inspired video for "Might Just," which features cameos from Taylor Rooks, Coco Jones and Ryan Destiny. The New Orleans date is part of a run that's carried the singer across the country this year, with the local report confirming the Friday show at the Saenger Theatre as her New Orleans stop on the album's promotional trek.
A 28-City Trek With Rising Support Acts
The "Do You Still Love Me?" tour launched July 7 in Toronto and spans 28 cities across North America, with supporting acts AMA and Girlfriend joining Ella Mai on the road, according to 313 Presents. The run is scheduled to wrap August 28 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The album itself was executive-produced by Mustard and led by the single "100," produced by Mustard and Keanu Beats, per Visit Sugar Land.
The Platinum Catalog Behind the Tour
Ella Mai's stardom traces back to the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in February 2019, where she won Best R&B Song for "Boo'd Up" and picked up a Song of the Year nomination, according to PureWow. That single has since become her signature hit, earning an 8x Platinum certification from the RIAA in May 2024, the highest of her career, as reported by Rated R&B.
Her catalog runs deeper than one breakout song. The follow-up track "Trip" is RIAA-certified 6x Platinum, and her self-titled 2018 debut album has racked up nearly 6 billion streams while going 2x Platinum, per 313 Presents. Her 2022 sophomore album, "Heart On My Sleeve," debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart and opened at No. 15 on the Billboard 200, the same outlet's chart coverage notes.
Inside the Historic Venue Hosting the Show
The Saenger Theatre itself carries its own history. It first opened on February 4, 1927, as a 4,000-seat atmospheric movie palace and now seats roughly 2,600 following modern renovations, according to Wikipedia. Architect Emile Weil designed the building in the Italian Renaissance atmospheric style, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 1977, as detailed by neworleans.com.
The theatre's survival wasn't guaranteed. Hurricane Katrina submerged its stage under eight feet of floodwater in 2005, and the venue underwent a $53 million public-private restoration before reopening in September 2013, according to OTJ Architects, which worked on the rebuild.
A Late-Summer Run of Festival Stages
Friday's concert follows a busy summer for Ella Mai. Ahead of the New Orleans date, she made her Summerfest debut on July 2, headlining Milwaukee's BMO Pavilion stage as she continues promoting the new album across the country.
