Iliona opens up with delicacy and melancholy in her first EP -
© Ojoz
Iliona is one of the musical revelations of the beginning of the year 2021.
Unveiled at the beginning of February, his first EP "Tristesse" will be released in physical and vinyl this Friday.
The Belgian singer delivers delicate and melancholy music, with electronic accents.
Discreet, but no less noticed, Iliona is one of the revelations of the beginning of the year.
Perhaps you already know her song
Less Pretty
, in which the young 20-year-old Belgian singer recounts with modesty and delicacy, the twilight of a love.
A stroll with sad tunes where she is accompanied on the piano, without frills, like the sober black and white clip that accompanies it.
A universe that echoes that of Barbara, who has infinitely declined the theme of unhappy loves.
“She rocked my adolescence a lot, she was very important in the development of my musical tastes, she explains to
20 Minutes
.
I find that she has the strength to be able to say very harsh, very dark, very raw things, but always in a pretty way and it's always well done and well written.
"
An influence that we therefore find in the music of Iliona, whose first EP
Tristesse
unveiled in early February, is released in physical and vinyl this Friday.
Eight tracks that speak of love, regrets and hopes, in a French song spirit, but very contemporary.
Like the metallic notes of the autotune which sometimes underline the singer's phrases, or her electronic recreations which appear among her songs.
And always with a certain restraint, as if the singer was advancing step by step, on tiptoe.
An inspiring melancholy
It must be said that a musical career seemed a few years ago, still inaccessible for the young Brussels woman.
“Music for me was not possible, like impossible.
I wanted to do plastic art or cinema, ”she explains.
From a young age, however, she had already tried herself at the piano, with a few lessons, then alone, "by ear" with the family piano.
Then as a teenager, around the age of 15, Iliona posted her first songs on YouTube, received very good feedback, and decided to follow this path.
“Right after my baccalaureate I knew I was going to try to make music, for me it was finally a happy medium between all.
There was a way to make films by making music videos, photos, drawings… Everything can be combined around a musical project, ”she says.
Iliona has several strings to her bow: she directs her music videos, writes, composes and sings.
She draws her inspiration from her melancholy moments, and transforms her sadness into creative force.
“I realized that the moments when I write and compose are the moments that allow me to express and digest my rather sad feelings,” explains the singer.
It is one way of understanding them.
I never write to lament but to heal faster.
"
Time for experimentation
In the song there are of course the lyrics, but also the melodies, and this is where Iliona particularly stands out.
Rap listener (among others), she likes to slide autotune keys.
Just like the title
Rest
, where his pleas are more haunting thanks to the metallic sounds of his voice.
But his experiments do not stop there.
There is the contemplative and almost wordless intro of his EP, which plunges the listener into an aerial universe.
And also the surprising
Marguerite
, penultimate piece of the project, which upsets the rhythm of
Tristesse
with its two and a half minutes of electronic experiments.
“It was a bit of recreation for me,” she admits.
For once I allowed myself to concentrate on the music and not get confused with the lyrics, as if I were removing one of the two ingredients from a recipe and having more room to try out new stuff.
Like my father, I listen to a lot of experimental music, movie soundtracks, 10 minute electro tracks that are quite soaring.
It's part of what I want to do, of course.
"
Already in great demand by big names in the music scene for collaborations, Iliona does not rush and takes the time to find herself, to "create her own universe".
"I wanted this first somewhat official speech by putting together a few songs and doing a first draft, a first test", she explains.
A promising first glimpse that really makes you want to discover the rest.
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