MLE Is A Future Star On The Rise & Makes Music With A Purpose

Intro:

Today’s featured artist MLE is a 22-year-old Vietnamese-American singer who was born & raised in Orange County, CA. She is captivating many through her unique approach to songwriting & ability to use music as a way to aid people in healing. Outside of this, MLE recently graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Psychology. While her music career continues elevating successfully, she still plans to do work within the Psychology field in the area of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy. Before reading our full conversation & learning more about MLE below, you should follow her today @emuhwee_ & @officialmlemusic.

Meet: MLE

Me: So, how long have you been making music & what inspired you to get started?

MLE: Music has been a lifelong passion of mine. I have been singing as early as I could speak, playing multiple instruments since middle school, and served as President & Conductor of my high school choir.

Has your style changed & evolved since you started? How would you describe your style overall?

My musical style is sensual and soothing. I enjoy being versatile and do not stay confined to a particular genre or singular style. While R&B is my primary sound, I also have Hip Hop, EDM, and Afrobeats/Amapiano songs released, along with other various sounds in the works. When I first began music, I was going through a breakup, so my debut single is very tender and vulnerable.

My songs reflect my experience with healing and moving on after the relationship ended, so you can hear it go from sentimental to sassy and sexy and sensual. Now that I have met more producers with a variety of beats for me, or done collaborations with artists who have different sounds, my sound has definitely expanded to more upbeat vibes.

Nice! And I like how creative your stage name is. How did you come up with the idea?

My name is Emily and my stage name is MLE. It is just a shortened version of my name that is phonetic, so I make people pronounce it aloud until they realize the resemblance. I heard the nickname once in an old YouTube video years ago and it was clever so it stuck with me since. Although, I may have to add some more to the name to make it more unique to me because there are quite a few other music artists named MLE out there, so I do not always pop up at the top of searches.

Do you remember the first song you've ever made? If so, what was it like compared to new songs like “Temperature”?

Yes, my debut single is called “Last Time” and it is about on & off relationships. My releases following are “Stress Relief”, which is about manifesting a positive and calming relationship while establishing expectations, and “Why U Callin’?”, which is about being contacted as the rebound or side chick. Then I have “Visions”, which is a bit lustful and reminiscent, and my most recent release is “Temperature”, which is steamy and upbeat. While they are all songs about love, the story goes from sentimental and tender to sassy and sexy. The beats also evolve from slow and soft to upbeat and groovy.

That’s a dope concept! Who are some of your favorite artists, producers, or other talented creatives to work with?

My big 3 would be the homies Oliver (AKA Wvlfsn), Josh (AKA Swayen), and Clark (AKA John Blaze). They are producers, artists, engineers, and overall great genuine talented individuals. They helped me record and mix/master all of the singles I have out on platforms, so I trust their expertise and respect their opinions. As far as songwriters and beatmakers solely that I enjoy collaborating with, the list is too long to provide specific names because there is a plethora of talent that I enjoy working with and would do it again!

It’s always helpful & convenient to have a strong network & support system like the one you describe. In an ideal world, what does a perfect studio session look like for you?

I enjoy an air-conditioned facility with comfortable seats, adequate space, plants or decorations, and dim/colorful mood lights. My essentials for songwriting are weed + water (and of course, fire beats).

And what are some other talents & hobbies outside of music that some may not know about you?

I enjoy sports and anything creative! I have played on flag football, basketball, and volleyball teams. Although I do not have the most expertise in arts and crafts, I do enjoy participating in anything creative outside of music. I also was in colorguard, or flag ensemble, so we would do jazz dance techniques and flip 6-foot-long flags as part of a performance choreography.

It sounds like you’ve always been very talented! With that in mind, what's been the most difficult part of your journey in music?

I often get overwhelmed by the saturation in the music industry. Especially living in LA, I’m always around a handful of fellow creatives pursuing the same passions as I am. Every day just being on social media I see individuals with the same dreams and drive that I have, and it reminds me that there really are so many talented and capable individuals so you really have to give it your all and shine. Sometimes it’s difficult to always put yourself out there and show up, especially when you’re an unsigned artist who works solo and has yet to establish a trusted group of individuals like a manager, assistant, booking agent, makeup artist, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, merch creator, etc.

I’m sure many of your peers can relate to that experience too. Is there any advice you would give to someone who is thinking about getting into music?

I would tell them to pursue it if they are truly passionate about it. Do what you love and love what you do. Don’t pursue music for the wrong reasons cause you’ll get burnt out.

Do you have any upcoming releases or plans for your career that you're comfortable speaking on for the readers?

I plan to release my first EP by Summer 2025!! I am doing a waterfall release, so I will be dropping each song individually. Then, when they are all out, I will compile the 5 or 6 singles into the collective EP. I’ll be bringing all the summer, tropical vibes that you can play on an island or a yacht or a pool party or whenever you want to groove. It will feature afrobeats, reggae, reggaeton, amapiano, and dancehall vibes. This is my first compilation project and I get to showcase my versatility outside of the R&B singles I have released currently, so I am super excited!!

And finally, are there any last words you have you’d like to share before we conclude?

I have been so grateful to be performing consistently in multiple cities and landing interviews with various media sources!! In just 2024 alone, I have performed in 30 shows already. I have been interviewed on Youtube podcasts, iHeartRadio shows, and actual radio stations. I have always thought that you have made it as a music artist once your songs have played on the radio, so it is so surprising to know that my music has been played on 2 different radio stations and I have only been making music for nearly 4 years (unsigned)!!

Be sure to join my Broadcast Channel to get updates on all my upcoming performances or publications dropping!! I also include all my event dates in my music page IG bio at @officialmlemusic. Maybe in a few years, I’ll go from performing primarily in LA to expanding states for a worldwide tour!