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Pinay RnB artist Illest Morena stars in dark, sexy MV about ‘deadly love’

by Leila Salaverria

FIERCE, sexy, dangerous – this is how rap and RnB artist Illest Morena describes her new music video, the latest addition to her musical narrative about love and overcoming heartache. 

Interrelated with her other songs Loml, Indigo Haze, and Pick Up, the 21-year-old’s newest release, Soul Ties, is about giving your energy to the right people.

“Energy is everywhere, kasi kung sumasama ka dun sa tao madalas, his or her energy drags you down–it tends to manifest into your reality,” she explained. 

Illest’s roots

The up-and-coming artist’s career has been taking off after she was discovered by TMP Music Distribution Network’s CEO Douglas Brocklehurst, who first listened to her on Spotify. 

Brocklehurst asked his girlfriend to look for the sultry voice behind the song, and learned that they have common friends.

He then invited her to perform at a live performance segment, and they got to talk. She told him she was looking for a team, and they found themselves agreeing on several things. 

He likes how loyal she is, both to people and to her craft, he said. 

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“Sobrang loyal niya na tao, sobrang loyal niya sa craft niya, sobrang loyal niya sa mga taong naniniwala sa kanya, kaya binibigay rin ng team yung best,” he said. 

To Brocklehurst, there’s no one quite like Illest Morena. 

“She’s always ahead in terms of music quality, she’s always ahead in terms of lyrics, she’s always sounding new,” he said.  

Singing about love, energy, and everything in between, Illest Morena’s sound is as versatile as it is unique. With her sound taking inspiration from the likes of Jhene Aiko, Illest’s career has started to soar. 

Her song ‘Pick Up’ currently has over 2 million streams on Spotify, with 173,888 people listening to her monthly.

The ‘Soul Ties’ MV

Coming together as a collaboration from the minds of Illest Morena and the music video’s director, Tokseen, Illest says that the MV is meant to show people that “Love is deadly. Too much is deadly.” 

She thought of the idea when she was listening to the song on repeat and thinking about the circumstances in her life. 

“I was in that phase in my life where I was tired of being the one being dragged [by] somebody’s energy, so I was like, I want this MV to reflect what I want to happen. Yung lagi akong nahihilo sa direksyon nila. Pwede ba ikaw naman!,” she said. 

She also explained that this single is the new addition to the story she has been creating with her music thus far. 

Her song Loml was the infatuation phase, which is about being loved by a person, she said.

Indigo Haze compares being in love to drugs, “‘cause it is a drug,” she said. The next song, Pick Up, is about the sensual side of the relationship. 

Soul Ties is more of the aftermath. 

“Like I’m so tired of being the one who’s trying to make this work, so it’s like revenge… but subtle,” she said. 

Soul Ties is now available for listening on Spotify and Apple Music. The music video will be premiering on March 17 at 6 PM. 

Illest Morena shares her story

republicasia was able to join an exclusive screening of Illest’s new music video, and got to sit down with the artist and talk with her about her start in the music industry, her sources of inspiration, and the origin of Illest Morena. 

Read on to learn how the pandemic brought her to the music industry, how she has learned to love her dusky skin, and what she plans to do next. 

Q: When and how did you start your journey in the music industry?

A:  I started singing when I was 2 years old, I think. Videoke. Pero I stopped for a long time. I only came back to singing when I was in 12th grade, so last year of senior high school, and nagka-pandemic no’n. 

And then I started writing songs, kasi nung pandemic, nauso yung mga rap challenges, like 24 Bars Challenge, yung mga ganon. Tapos na-realize ko na ‘baka para dito talaga ako.’ Kasi when I was in 12th grade, hindi ko alam kung ano yung tatahakin ko na career path. I was confused. I didn’t know where I wanted my life to go kasi magka-college na so nakaka-pressure. 

Then when music came to me in 2020, I embraced it.

Q: What’s the story behind your name “Illest Morena”?

A: You’re the first to ask this! “Illest Morena” is my Instagram and Twitter bio back in 2016, kasi back in high school, I used to be bullied a lot for my skin color, and I’m more on the masculine side. So a lot of people would call me ‘morena’ pero derogatory nila ginagamit sa akin yung ‘negra,’ ‘maitim,’ ganon.

I got “Illest” from Nicki Minaj kasi I’m a fan of hers. I’m trying to own my skin color, kasi I spent so many years trying to bleach my skin tone, trying to be whiter, to straighten my hair. I spent so many years trying to change myself and Illest Morena was me owning what I have, what I got. 

When it came to picking a name, sabi ko I’m gonna use this one, kasi at first I wanted to be solely a rapper, but now things changed. I felt like I resonated with R&B more. So that’s how it came about.

Q: How would you describe your music to people that haven’t listened to you yet?

A: It’s very chill, you know what I mean?

Chill yung ambiance ng sound ng music ko, but the lyrics tell another story. It’s a little aggressive. It’s like a woman trying to own up to what she wants, trying to get what she wants. Kasi syempre sa nature ng mga babae, we were taught to be mahiyain, mahinhin.

But in my music, it describes a woman’s subconscious thoughts. Yung mga gusto naming sabihin: gusto namin mag-first move, gusto namin sabihin na “gan’to gawin mo sa’kin,” but we can’t say out loud kasi bago pa rin na maging “liberated” ang isang babae. 

Q: What can we expect to see from Illest Morena in the future?

A: Bigger things. I can’t say anything yet, but I promise you guys na hindi ako mags-stay on one topic. I assure you guys that all my songs are gonna be in the same narrative. Makikita mo na connected sila sa isa’t isa.

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