# Eli’s pop star fantasy becomes reality

> Eli, the 25-year-old pop star, turns her stage dreams into reality with a breakthrough album.
- Title: Eli’s pop star fantasy becomes reality · NME | Shortify
- Summary: Eli, the 25-year-old pop star, turns her stage dreams into reality with a breakthrough album. Eli’s 2025 album 'Stage Girl' earned acclaim for its raw, Y2K…
- Keywords: eli, stage girl, y2k pop, trans woman, nme, britney spears, troye sivan, doechii, zara larsson, mariah carey, zelig records, mark ronson
- Source: NME — https://nme.com/the-cover/eli-05-10-2026-3972098
- Author: Bailey Slater
- Published: 2026-10-05T08:00:44+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: eli, stage girl, y2k pop, trans woman, nme, britney spears, troye sivan, doechii, zara larsson, mariah carey, zelig records, mark ronson
## Eli’s pop star identity
Eli, a 25-year-old american singer-songwriter, is an unapologetic "put on a show kind of girl" as quoted by britney spears.

> put on a show kind of girl
## Stage girl album success
Eli’s 2025 album 'Stage Girl' was named one of nme’s best debuts of last year.
## Theatrical pop songs
Eli’s y2k-coded pop songs use deeply confessional lyrics to explore past relationship pain and gender dysphoria.
## Famous fans and early fame
Eli has gained a fanbase including troye sivan, doechii, and zara larsson, after a brief vine era.
## Massachusetts roots
Eli hails from small town massachusetts, inspired by mariah carey and reality competition shows.
## Hollywood discovery
Eli was discovered by mark ronson’s zelig records after studying recorded music at nyu.
## Key takeaway

Eli’s 2025 album 'Stage Girl' earned acclaim for its raw, Y2K pop songs and trans identity themes.