From 2016 to 2018, she released three EPs on the label, including Time, Change, and Ready. Her self-titled debut studio album was released in October 2018 and featured the singles "Boo'd Up" and "Trip", which charted in the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 5 and 11, respectively. In 2019, "Boo'd Up" was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Song of the Year and Best R&B Song, winning for the latter, as well as Mai herself being nominated for British Breakthrough Act at the 2019 Brit Awards. At the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, she won three awards, including the award for Top R&B Artist.
Trip
Ella Mai Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I put my feelings on safety
So I don't go shootin' where your heart be
'Cause you take the bullet tryna save me
Then I'm left to deal with makin' you bleed
And that's a whole lotta love, ain't tryna waste it
Like we be runnin' a mile to never make it
That's just too bitter for worse, don't wanna taste it
That's just too bitter for worse, don't wanna face it
But I think that I'm done trippin', I'm trip-trippin'
I've been sippin', that's how I control
This feelin', you keep givin'
You keep on hittin' it ooh, oh
Maybe it's your love, it's too good to be true
Baby boy, your love, got me trippin' on you
You know your love is big enough, make me trip up on you
Yeah, it's big enough, got me trippin' on you, trip-trippin' on you
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you)
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you)
Boy, you know we cool when I ain't waitin'
But I act a fool when I don't get it
And I'm steady bruisin' just to save this
But I tripped on your love, now I'm addicted
And that's a whole lotta love, ain't tryna waste it
Like we be runnin' a mile to never make it
That's just too bitter for worse, don't wanna taste it
That's just too bitter for worse, don't wanna face it
But I think that I'm done trippin', I'm trip-trippin'
I've been sippin', that's how I control
This feelin', you keep givin'
You keep on hittin' it ooh, oh
Maybe it's your love, it's too good to be true
Baby boy, your love, got me trippin' on you
You know your love is big enough, make me trip up on you
Yeah, it's big enough, got me trippin' on you, trip-trippin' on you
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you)
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you)
That's some kind of love, baby (drip, drip)
That's the type of love, make me (trip, trip, trippin' on you)
It's big enough, make me (drip, drip)
It's big enough, got me (trip, trip, trippin' on you)
I'm done trippin', I'm trip-trippin'
I've been sippin', that's how I control
This feelin', you keep givin'
You keep on hittin' it ooh, oh
Maybe it's your love, it's too good to be true
Baby boy, your love, got me trippin' on you
You know your love is big enough, make me trip up on you
Yeah, it's big enough, got me trippin' on you, trip-trippin' on you
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (baby, baby, baby, trippin' on you)
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you, trippin' on you, baby)
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you
Said I admit I was wrong when I did it
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you)
Trippin' on you yeah yeah
Ooh
Yeah, yeah
The song "Trip" by Ella Mai is about being cautious with one’s emotions while dealing with love. The first verses explain how the singer puts her feelings on safety to refrain from hurting the person she loves. She doesn't want to shoot where his heart is, implying that she doesn't want to cause him any pain. In the lines "That's just too bitter for worse, don't wanna taste it / That's just too bitter for worse, don't wanna face it," Ella Mai talks about bitterness and pain that she doesn't want to experience. In the chorus, she says that she thinks she's done trippin', but the feelings and emotions the person evokes in her cause her to trip and be addicted.
The second verse talks about Ella Mai's undeniable connection to this person, despite the difficulties and obstacles that arise. She admits to acting like a fool trying to win their love but ends up being addicted to it. In the bridge, Ella Mai admits to her mistakes, saying she was "trippin' on you" and addresses the person whom she had hurt with an apology.
Overall, the song portrays the struggles of navigating through love and relationships, the fear of putting oneself in a vulnerable position to avoid being hurt, and the inevitable addiction to the feeling of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oooh, yeah, yeah
Introduction to the song
I put my feelings on safety
I protect my heart from hurt by not pursuing a relationship with you
So I don't go shootin' where your heart be
I don't want to risk breaking your heart
'Cause you take the bullet tryna save me
Because you willingly risk heartbreak to protect me
Then I'm left to deal with makin' you bleed
I don't want to be responsible for causing you pain
And that's a whole lotta love, ain't tryna waste it
We have a lot of love between us, and I don't want it to go to waste
Like we be runnin' a mile to never make it
We keep trying so hard, but we never seem to succeed
That's just too bitter for worse, don't wanna taste it
The pain and disappointment of failing hurts too much to deal with again
But I think that I'm done trippin', I'm trip-trippin'
I'm finally letting go of my doubts and insecurities
I've been sippin', that's how I control
I try to control my emotions by drinking
This feelin', you keep givin'
The love you give me is overwhelming
You keep on hittin' it ooh, oh
Your love keeps hitting me hard
Maybe it's your love, it's too good to be true
It's hard to believe that your love for me is real
Baby boy, your love, got me trippin' on you
Your love for me is so strong that it makes me feel dizzy and out of control
You know your love is big enough, make me trip up on you
Your love for me is so powerful that it overwhelms me and makes me fall for you
Yeah, it's big enough, got me trippin' on you, trip-trippin' on you
Your love is intense and causes me to be infatuated with you
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you)
I apologize for my behavior and my feelings for you
Boy, you know we cool when I ain't waitin'
We have a good relationship when we're not trying to be more than friends
But I act a fool when I don't get it
When I don't get the romantic attention I want from you, I act foolish
And I'm steady bruisin' just to save this
I'm willing to endure emotional pain to save our friendship
But I tripped on your love, now I'm addicted
Your love for me is now addictive and I can't resist it
That's some kind of love, baby (drip, drip)
Our love for each other is intense and passionate
That's the type of love, make me (trip, trip, trippin' on you)
Our love makes me feel dizzy and out of control
It's big enough, make me (drip, drip)
Our love is powerful and overwhelming
It's big enough, got me (trip, trip, trippin' on you)
Our love is intense and causes me to be infatuated with you
Said I admit I was wrong when I did it
I admit that my behavior towards you was wrong
My bad, my bad for, trippin' on you (trippin' on you)
I apologize for my behavior and my feelings
Trippin' on you yeah yeah
I can't help but fall for you
Ooh
Outro of the song
Yeah, yeah
Outro of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Dijon Mcfarlane, Ella Mai Howell, Quintin Gulledge, Varren Wade, Dijon Isaiah Mcfarlane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind