Elmiene
Toad’s Place
New Haven
July 28, 2026
I underwent a transfiguration last night at the Elmiene show.
The R&B/soul singer has been growing in popularity, so I trekked to Toad’s Place an hour ahead on Tuesday. Knowing that I would be standing for untold hours that evening. Knowing that I am nearing old age (38 years old in two months) and my body rejects the rigor of concert-going these days.
As I held my position near the front of the stage, I prayed that I could last.
After a raw performance from the opener, R&B singer Jahson Paynter, Elmiene graced the stage to a chorus of cheers. I texted my friend, “My back is starting to hurt.”
Something happened once Elmiene began to sing, though. The second I heard his honeyed notes my body began to relax. His voice was restoring my tired old bones like the healing purrs of a cat.
Clad in an ice blue Sudanese jalabiya, the British-Sudanese singer looked like a king on stage as he opened with “Special” off his first official studio album sounds for someone. (The album title is also the name of the tour.)
It’s not Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or Valentine
There’s no reason to explain it away
I’m just celebrating all of the ways
You mean to me
I do this all because you’re
Special (forever you are)
Special, special, yeah, yeah, yeah (forever you are)
Special
“Elmiene the Great,” I thought to myself as his much-lauded voice soared through the packed venue. “This is real R&B.”
Elmiene was discovered in 2021 after his stirring cover of D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does it Feel)” began drawing attention. His baritone is velvety, expressive and tinged with vulnerability. He can move from tender to roof-raising belting with ease. His falsetto is luminous and ethereal.
Last night, his presence felt as mystical as his voice was ethereal. Adding to that effect were jewel-toned lights that shifted through the haze on stage throughout his performance. One moment, Elmiene was illuminated; the next he would fall into shadow; the lights mirrored the intensity of each song. The theatricality on stage heightened the excitement in the room as the audience screamed and sang along to each song.
He performed a crowd-pleasing mix of hits from his EPs and album, songs of yearning and emotional desolation. There were several instances of people squealing as they heard “their” song. Elmiene has released seven EPs since 2023, impressive output from a newcomer who is determined to stake his claim in the R&B world. To the audience’s delight, he even interpolated a few classic and contemporary R&B songs into his mix, like Soul for Real’s “Candy Rain” and Bobby Valentino’s verse from “Mrs. Officer,” making them his own.
My healing continued further during an endearing moment when Elmiene highlighted his background singers. As they sang “Lonely People,” almost competing to hit high notes, the female vocalist sustained a climactic note that tickled my brain. If you’re a real music fan you know the feeling of frisson. That tingling, goosebump-raising feeling induced by a particularly touching piece of music. At that point, I felt electrified from the inside out.
By the time Elmiene said, “Thank you New Haven!” I felt an odd mixture of relief and sadness. I didn’t want this euphoric experience to end, but my body felt tired and I also had a deadline to meet. I inched my way towards the door though I noticed the crowd hadn’t budged a bit.
They were demanding an encore.
I had a choice to make: Leave and escape the rush of the crowd. Or stay and risk getting caught in the surge.
I stayed.
As Elmiene’s rich baritone brought the stage back to life, I found myself standing by the door unable to move. Though my body felt leaden, I could not resist the siren call.
He closed the show with his popular song “Reclusive”:
Even in the darkest times
Even when I’m in the light
I keep to myself
I think I need a little bit of time away
Fourteen days, I been alone
Wonder should I take a stroll
Or do I stay in my mind?
‘Cause I get so reclu—, oooh oooh oooh
I get so reclusive
I get so reclu—, ooh ooh ooh
I get so reclusive
It was such a lively performance, I felt myself growing in energy. I had arrived hoping against hope that I could endure the night. I left feeling renewed.
If you don’t know Elmiene by now, it’s time to get familiar: el-mean.com
