Ella Mai Howell is an English R&B singer-songwriter. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of The X Factor. In 2015, she released her debut four-track solo extended play (EP), Troubled in October of that year. The EP and her performances on social media were discovered by American record producer DJ Mustard, who signed Mai to his record label 10 Summers Records, an imprint of Interscope Records.

Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer and DJ. A frequent producer for California-based hip hop artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign, he has produced various hit singles for both artists and other prominent artists in hip hop and R&B. He first gained prominence for his work on Tyga's 2011 single "Rack City".