Sometimes, you just need a best friend to grab you by the shoulders and remind you that the boy you’re crying over can’t even fry an egg. Eli, a 25-year-old singer-songwriter who traces her inspiration to American Idol, is that best friend distilled in a pop bonbon: Her new single “Glitter” is as breezy and familiar as a radio hit remembered from childhood. Over a slow-jam groove and twinkly, late-’90s-flavored production, Eli draws on her Jordin Sparks-esque powers and gently instructs you to get some standards: “You should be his baby, not his babysitter.”
“Glitter” wears its homages on its sleeve, with promo artwork that’s crushing hard on Mariah Carey. On her 2025 debut, Stage Girl, Eli showcased her effortless knack for evoking 2000s pop alongside cheeky storytelling about life as a small-town trans girl dreaming of stardom and love. On “Glitter”’s spoken-word bridge, she’s the romcom sidekick calling to console you: “He doesn’t even have a job/I mean we don’t have jobs either but, like/He’s horrible.” Oh God, is it 2025 or 2008?
