At the young age of 17, Ellise graduated from high school two years early and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional singer and recording artist. The process, however, was not an easy one. In order to graduate at the end of her sophomore year, Ellise was required to double up on classes for two years, and complete a lengthy exam which determined whether she would be able to continue on with her dream, or spend another year in high school before being able to graduate. Once she got the positive test results back over the summer, she was beyond excited to start her transition to Los Angeles.
Once in LA, Ellise decided to start posting covers on her YouTube channel in order to utilize her voice and have it out in the open for people to hear. Her first cover, “Hello” by Adele, gained immediate attention, as did her weekly covers following which included covers of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”, Zayn Malik’s “Pillow Talk”, Adele’s “Hello” and more. Her Youtube channel quickly began to grow, bringing her fans who loved her purely for her voice. She created her YouTube channel in November of 2015, and quickly reached over 9,000 subscribers, and is grateful for each and every one.
Since moving in October, Ellise has been solely focused on one thing: music. She began the year writing with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Chris Seefried (Lana Del Rey, Andra Day and Fitz & the Tantrums) for Uproxx & Honda Stage’s “Uncharted”. The duo wrote and produced her first original single, “Breakdown”, which can be seen on the Uproxx website as well as sites such as Complex.com, Honda’s Facebook page and more. She spent the next 6 months in the studio recording her now scrapped EP release, before releasing the first single from the EP, titled “Dominoes”, in June 2016.
Following this, starting in 2018, she independently released music, releasing a string of single, each with music videos, showing her creative drive and talent, leading up to her debut extended play, "Can You Keep a Secret?" The opening track from the Halloween EP, "911", trended, become Ellise's biggest song. After this, she continued to release independently with her new darker pop sound, releasing another few singles before in October of 2019, releasing her sophomore Halloween extended play, "Under My Bed".
Through all of 2020, she spent lockdown productively working on her debut studio album, "Chaotic", releasing the first single - "Bubblegum Brain", a punchy vibrant pop song with contrastingly dark lyrics - early 2021, followed by the next single, "Feeling Something Bad...", taking a more experimental tone as Ellise (and the album's executive producer, Micah Gordon) experiment with pitched vocals and a stranger sound. It was followed by the album's last single, "Over Breakfast", an introspective sad song, stripped back to just Ellise calling for one last night with her soon-to-be-ex, accompanied by only an acoustic guitar. After this, "Chaotic" was released, with a live show to accompany it, and a deluxe edition planned, along with a video for one of the album's standout tracks, "Bruises".
Lullaby
Ellise Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You′re frightened, I guess that you are
Fear in your eyes, you won't get very far
The door′s locked, the windows are barred
Hold your tongue, don't make a sound
Hold your breath, don't let it out
I can′t get you off my mind
Bite down, you're counting up sheep
A lullaby sings you softly to sleep
Bough breaks, you′ll fall from the tree
A lullaby sings you softly to sleep
Cradle yourself underneath all the sheets
Your heart seems to cry while it beats
Can't scream for help ′cause your lips are sewn shut
You wished for the angel I'm not
Hold your tongue, don′t make a sound
Hold your breath, don't let it out
I can't get you off my mind
So I′ll give you a taste of how my devil sounds
Bite down, you′re counting up sheep
A lullaby sings you softly to sleep
Bough breaks, you'll fall from the tree
A lullaby sings you softly to sleep
The lyrics to Ellise's song "Lullaby" depict a dark and haunting narrative. The singer addresses someone who is scared of the dark, expressing their understanding of the fear reflected in their eyes. The imagery of locked doors and barred windows further adds to the sense of being trapped and unable to escape. The singer instructs the person to remain silent and hold their breath, possibly implying a sense of control or dominance over them. It becomes apparent that the singer has a disturbing presence, as they mention wanting to give the person a taste of "how [their] devil sounds."
The second verse continues the unsettling tone, mentioning the counting of sheep and a lullaby that sings the person softly to sleep. However, instead of providing a sense of comfort, the lullaby seems to convey a sinister undertone. The imagery of a broken bough and falling from a tree adds to the feeling of vulnerability and danger. The person is described as cradling themselves underneath the sheets, their heart seemingly crying as it beats. It is revealed that the person had hoped for an angelic figure, but instead found themselves in the company of someone much darker.
Overall, "Lullaby" explores themes of fear, manipulation, and vulnerability. It delves into the psychological aspect of being trapped in a harmful situation where escape seems impossible. The lyrics convey a sense of unease and discomfort, creating a haunting atmosphere throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Switch off the light, are you scared of the dark?
Are you afraid of the unknown and what you can't see?
You're frightened, I guess that you are
It's evident that you are terrified
Fear in your eyes, you won't get very far
Your fear is holding you back from progressing
The door's locked, the windows are barred
You feel trapped and unable to escape
Hold your tongue, don't make a sound
Keep quiet and don't speak
Hold your breath, don't let it out
Don't show any signs of weakness or vulnerability
I can't get you off my mind
You occupy my thoughts constantly
So I'll give you a taste of how my devil sounds
I will let you experience the darkness within me
Bite down, you're counting up sheep
You're trying to distract yourself and find comfort in repetitive thoughts
A lullaby sings you softly to sleep
Something soothing is guiding you into a peaceful slumber
Bough breaks, you'll fall from the tree
When everything collapses, you will suffer the consequences
Cradle yourself underneath all the sheets
Seek refuge and protection within your own vulnerability
Your heart seems to cry while it beats
Deep down, you feel emotional pain despite maintaining a normal facade
Can't scream for help 'cause your lips are sewn shut
You're unable to ask for assistance due to being silenced or suppressed
You wished for the angel I'm not
You hoped for someone pure and benevolent, but I am not that person
Writer(s): Ellise Mariana Gitas
Contributed by Bailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.