Words by Art Jefferson
Photography by Christian Hasselbach and courtesy of ILIRA
Give one listen and look at singer ILIRA and one will quickly come to the understanding that she was born to be a star. With a consistent record of pumping out impressive pop singles, themes of confidence and high self-esteem flow continuously in her songwriting. Aside from possessing a killer voice, her ear for polished production choices puts her in a win-win situation. At this point in her career the powerhouse artist can do no wrong.
Born Ilira Gashi in Brienz, Switzerland, of Kosovo-Albanian heritage, her background in music harks back to her days as a youth. As a teen she was a part of the group The Colors, whose recording ‘Home’ made it in the top three pre-selection list of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Whilst quite an accomplishment for the young band, ILIRA would move on to become a solo artist, making a trek to Berlin, where she eventually signed management and publishing deals with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. She inked a record contract with Four Music in 2018, dropping her debut track ‘Whisper My Name’ that same year. ILIRA would storm the charts with her single ‘Fading’ featuring Alle Farben, placing her comfortably in the mainstream arena. Since then, she has released a slew of high powered tunes including ‘Do It Yourself’ and ‘Pay Me Back!’, just to name a few.
ILIRA’s latest single ‘Royalty’ is another top tier pop gem that again reflects her self-worth, standing firm with her standards to be treated with the utmost of love and respect, that of a queen. Poised to be another mainstream smash, ILIRA is ready to take her seat at the throne of pop music.
Being of Kosovo – Albanian heritage yet growing up in Switzerland, culturally how did that environment impact you as a child?
ILIRA – As a third culture kid, I’ve often felt misplaced, and people mocked me for my dreams and aspirations. However, I also see the good in growing up with so many different cultures. Musically, it has definitely impacted me because my parents played a lot of Albanian music when I was a child, and that influenced my sense of songwriting.
Growing up who were some of your musical influences?
ILIRA – I’ve always enjoyed listening to a wide range of artists, everything from Rihanna to Nirvana. Britney definitely paved the way to pop music for me, but I’ve never stopped exploring other genres: from Indie to Metal, and from Middle Eastern music to American music.
I read that you were initially writing songs to tracks that you had purchased online. Musically what sort of beats were these?
ILIRA – I ordered trap beats online and just started writing to them. I recorded my vocals myself, and then used them as my demos.
You eventually moved to Berlin where you signed a deal with Sony Germany. How does living in Berlin impact you creatively and musically?
ILIRA – It’s crazy that I’ve been living in Berlin for over 3 years already. Met some great people here who I continue to work with.
You have ventured to a number of cities including Los Angeles and London to write. Which place do you find the most inspiring for you to pen songs?
ILIRA – One of my favorite producers is Bhav, and he lives in London. I did ‘ROYALTY’ and ‘GET OFF MY D!CK’ with him, and he’s just incredible! There’s something about London that I’ve always loved so much. It’s the reason I go there multiple times a year to write.
Your track ‘Do It Yourself’ not only continues to highlight your fierce and confident side, but it’s also an empowering anthem. Can you talk a bit about that song?
ILIRA – ‘Do It Yourself’ is about putting yourself first, and not needing any Disney-like romance to feel complete. You should be that prince you’re waiting for — just do it yourself!
Your latest single ‘Royalty’ is another example of you letting the world know that there are qualities that you demand in a person. In one of your lines you say, “love a man who’s got manners / don’t be mad I’ve got standards”. Knowing your worth has always been embedded into your music. What advice would you give to those who may suffer from a lacking of self-worth?
ILIRA – I’ve always found strength in music whenever I wanted to feel empowered. I hope that people can feel more confident by listening to my songs. That’s my ultimate goal, and the reason why I put so much attitude into my music.
The visuals to your music have always been at high levels with your videos being extremely creative and eye-catching. Can you talk about the importance of maintaining top notch visual presentation?
ILIRA – It’s very important to me to be heavily involved in all creative aspects of my music. Videos and styling are a huge part of it, and it’s my passion to design my own clothes and think of ideas for my music videos.
You have really been consisting with pumping out smash pop records back to back. Do you already have an idea of the direction that you want to go in before going into the studio or do you create more on the spot?
ILIRA – Thank you! It always depends. Sometimes I know what kind of song I want to make before heading to the studio, and sometimes it all just starts in the room.
Finally, I know that you’re in the studio working on the album. What can fans expect from the forthcoming record?
ILIRA – I’m so excited to be working on my album! It’s definitely gonna have some surprises on it musically, with me also exploring more urban and stripped-down tracks.
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