If You Like Ariana Grande, You’ll Love Ellise

Eighteen-year-old Bay Area bae Ellise Gitas moved to LA almost a year ago and has wasted no time sharing her stunning voice that sounds like a mix between Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez. Ellise visited us at Galore HQ to discuss her upcoming EP and her secret to slaying the matte nude lip.

How long have you been a musician?

I’ve been singing my whole life, but I’ve just started getting into the industry and singing as a profession within the last year.

Singers that inspire you?

I love Sia’s vibe, her whole music sound is something I really enjoy.

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Tell us about “Dominoes.”

“Dominoes” is the song I wrote when I moved to LA. I had written a lot already but we decided to put it out as my first single. It’s about a relationship that’s going badly where we both knew it had to end. The video helps visually explain that.

Did you enjoy filming the video?

Yeah, it was so fun! I had never shot anything before, so it was a great experience.

What’s the aesthetic?

It’s colorful and fun and the styling is cute and girly.

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You’re 18 years old and on the cusp of leaving teenage-hood! Who would you say is your audience right now?

My audience is a lot of younger kids and kids my age, so I try to appeal to both. I’m never too crazy on social media because I keep in mind my younger audience. At the same time I like to relate to kids my age and older too – it’s kind of a balance.

What is it like having a career at this age?

There have been times I’ve felt discouraged or had a problem with someone.

How do you navigate that?

Well, they’re just road bumps. You can’t have the good without the bad.

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Do you have a name for your upcoming EP yet?

Soon, not yet.

What kind of things are you planning with it?

I’m still exploring everything right now, but I definitely want to have some features and explore all different kinds of sounds, not stick to one thing throughout the EP.

Dream feature?

I always say this, but Shawn Mendes! I love him. I think his voice is so incredible and he’s so talented.

Are you going to make music videos for this album?

I loved shooting a music video, so shooting more would be incredible.

So, on your IG you have really cute selfies…we’re kind of obsessed with your matte lip. Are you the queen of the matte lip right now?

I love the matte lip. I have gotten so into lipstick because lips are my favorite part of makeup to do. I also love my Kylie lip kits, my Anastasia lip kit. Usually I go with a pinkish nude like Posie K – that’s my fave.

Do you have any style icons?

For clothes, definitely Gigi and Bella. They kill me every time. For makeup, Zendaya because she slays her own makeup. For hair, probably Kylie Jenner because I love the wigs and different colors.

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Do you perform?

Yeah, I just performed at the Celeb Fan Fest and before that the The Say No To Bullying Festival. It was a really cool event. After the performances people were talking about bullying and raising awareness.

Do you have any advice about bullying for our readers?

Definitely. Stay true to what you want to do. Even though that’s a really general thing to say, it’s true because as you grow up and go through being a preteen or teenager, people that are older than you or have more power than you are going to try to sway you in different directions and make you do what they want you to do. My biggest thing is, if you stay true to your ethics and do what you want to do, you’ll do well.

What can you say about girl power?

I think something for girls to think about is that girls can literally do anything that guys can do. And a lot of the time girls are held to lower standards. I’ve been seeing a lot of girl power stuff lately, which is good. Remember you can do anything you set your mind to as long as you work hard.

When should we expect the new EP?

The beginning of next year! Stay tuned for covers and other singles in between.

Find “Dominoes” on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, & Apple Music, and keep an eye out for Ellise’s upcoming EP.

Photos by Maddie Cordoba


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