MLE in the Limelight
Photo by Gopi Vadsak (@aawaari).
As the sun sets and the city comes alive, you can find one individual grooving her way into the nightlife.
Emily Dang, also known by her stage name, MLE, is a 21-year-old instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and Cal State Long Beach student whose discography is as dazzling as her personality. Dang has released four singles since 2021, each song reflecting her aptitude for the beat.
“I’m a big rhythm girl,” says Dang when asked about the inspiration behind her production. “I can’t not dance if there's music playing. R&B uses a lot of 808’s, and I'm a sucker for that. I grew up listening to Mariah Carrey, Akon, Neyo… that style of music has had a heavy influence on my music.”
Dang was raised by a family of “melody connoisseurs” — her parent’s versatility in musical genres compelled her to listen to every song she could. Family bonding included Dang grabbing the karaoke mic at her grandmother’s to sing along to anything from traditional Vietnamese ballads to Y2K top-hits.
“I’ve been singing ever since I could speak! I pride myself on being a versatile artist, and it stemmed from my parent’s love for music and my own desire to explore what was out there. They say my grandma sings, but I haven’t heard her. She’s shy nowadays… I haven’t heard her get down on the mic yet,” she laughed.
Photo by Gopi Vadsak (@aawaari).
Self-taught in guitar, ukulele and piano, Dang discovered from an early age that instruments provide a means to articulate creative ideas. Dang has immersed herself in entertainment since elementary school, learning to produce, shoot videos, take photographs, and how to perform. Stage fright used to taunt her, she confided, but now she’s booking show after show without nerves.
Performing live allows Dang to network with fellow musicians and gain pivotal career opportunities. Most recently, Dang won Hot 97’s singing competition “California to New York”. As the winner, Dang gets an expense-free tour around New York — complete with radio show features, guest appearances on podcasts and several photoshoots.
“I love performing. I want people to resonate with my music whether I’m on or off stage. If I can get someone to get up and dance, then I’ve done my job,” said Dang, eager to reach a new audience across the country.
Booking shows in Los Angeles and around Orange County lets Dang build upon the relationships with her local communities. Last month, KUCI 88.9 FM, a radio station based at UCI, featured Dang as a guest speaker. The station live broadcasted her single, “Visions”, soon afterward.
“I always thought you’ve made it once your music’s on the radio,” said Dang. “I’m not that far into my musical career yet, but the opportunity appeared so much faster and easier than I imagined. That milestone reminded me that no goals are too far out of reach and no achievements are too far in the future.”
Photo by Gopi Vadsak (@aawaari).
Beyond the stage lights and rhythm, Dang can be found wrapping up her Bachelor’s degree in psychology at CSULB. Dang graduates this coming May and looks forward to obtaining her Master’s in the future. Of course, balancing her education with her music career has proven to be tedious, but Dang exclaimed that she will always make time to create music.
“I’m excited to announce the release of my first EP this summer! I primarily have released R&B, EDM and hip-hop songs, but this summer’s project is going to bring in some afrobeats and dancehall to really show my versatility,” she said. “Singing, writing, producing… they’re all passions of mine that I’m not doing for fame or money. And I'm enjoying every step of my journey.”
Watch MLE’s latest music video for her single “Stress Relief”, available on all streaming platforms. To stay updated with all of her musical endeavors, follow her on Instagram at @officialmlemusic
Want to learn more about MLE? Check out Episode 02 of The Creative Outlet, available on YouTube and Spotify!