REVIEW: Elliot James Reay's Debut EP Holds a Vintage Sound That's Being Embraced by a New Generation
WRITTEN BY RENA DANHO
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Photo by Julian Buchan
Elliot James Reay is a name you’re not going to want to forget anytime soon. Although Elliot's discography is built only by his EP All This To Say I Love You, these 6 songs give you a glimpse into the talent Elliot has to offer to the music world.
Inspired by 50s and 60s classic rock n roll music, Elliot James Reay has taken this genre of music and has created a new sound not only for an older audience, but for younger fans too. Reay’s EP is filled with songs that will bring you back and remind you of artists like Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, but lyrically will draw you in with lyrics of love and romance.
However, before the release of the EP, Elliot started getting views on TikTok. He would cover various songs like “Say You Won’t Let Go”by James Arthur and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”by Elvis Presley. Both different artists, but both showing the range Elliot can achieve with his voice.
Many of his covers have received thousands of views on TikTok, and a handful of them have even gained millions of views.
As Elliot posted on TikTok cover after cover, slowly he was earning more and more followers every day, and gaining traction leading up to the release of his debut single.
In July of 2024, Elliot released “I Think They Call This Love.” Right off the bat, this song took off, creating an even bigger fanbase around Elliot. Thousands of comments varying from different artists commending the song, fans preaching that it’s a revival of 50s style music, and many just wanting more.
Aside from Elvis, many fans have compared his music and sound to Stephen Sanchez, even asking for a collaboration.
From this one song alone, Elliot gained an insane amount of traction. Within the first week, the song itself had 1.4 million streams. Today, “I Think They Call This Love” has gained 130,160,602 million streams on Spotify alone.
Slowly, Elliot released 3 more songs with the lead up to his debut EP release. “Boy In Love” in November of 2024, “Daydreaming” in March of 2025, and finally, “Who Knew Daydreaming Was a Sin” this past May. All 3 of these songs have amassed over a million streams on Spotify, and cement a core introduction to Elliot’s music and style.