Eli Derby

Eli Derby is reviving the fiery heart of R&B. Armed with sleek vocals and an electric guitar, the Maryland-born singer/songwriter/producer/instrumentalist sits at the crossroads of the genre’s two modern strains: the produced, hip-hop-infused sounds that grew out of ’90s/’00s radio; and the raw, live fare that evolved up from R&B’s OG practitioners. If there’s tension in that, his voice melts it on contact, with vibrant melodies and passionate lyrics that explore the timeless art of yearning. Aside from the guitar (also central to his stunning live shows and social posts) Eli is set apart by unabashed emotional honesty. To him, vulnerability is no weakness. “My job as an artist is to make you feel something,” he says. “There’s power in showing that it’s okay to love.” His heartfelt artistry began taking shape early. He first fell for rhythm, picking up drumsticks at age 2 and soon playing at church. By 10, he’d taught himself piano, and sought school auditions with athletic verve. Within a year, he broke out with 2021’s “Gaslight,” then grew his storytelling and melodic instincts across a string of projects building to 2025’s sonically diverse Slow Burn EP, racking up a 6LACK collab and an Etta James interpolation along the way — not to mention over 40 million streams. Now teamed up with ART@WAR / Warner Records, Eli Derby is leaning deeper than ever into his ability to transform everyday emotions into stories that linger long after the music ends.