“Girl you know I'ma set the mood right, You be so fine you be looking so nice”, with lyrics like that we know all too well what BIL¥EN is promising with this track, and he delivers. This smooth, suave R&B track offers subtle, dreamy beats and hypnotic lyrics. The main character in this song is a hopeless romantic who can’t seem to pry himself away from these femme fatales who take advantage of his gifts of love and affection, which only contributes to his mounting frustration and heartache.
BIL¥EN is a musician based in Toronto, Canada who shows us with his quirky lyrics and flowy verses, his ability to go against the flow and introduce some fresh sounds to the city. This fun loving artist is quoted describing himself as “someone that likes to have fun, whether it’s with my homies or my grandmother”. Que the ‘aww’s’! BIL¥EN hopes his music paints a vivid picture in your mind as you nod your head along and brings a smile to your face. We are defiantly smiling after listening to “Promises”. Stream this new, fresh track today!
Listen to “Promises” here and get to know more about BIL¥EN below
Can you tell us a bit about your latest single “Promises” and the meaning behind the song?
My latest single, Promises, is really for the ladies. Letting them know they can feel safe with me and that I'm "looking for a ring" not a fling type deal. I also wanted to drive home another point is that I grew up in a part of the GTA where it was just quiet suburbs surrounding high and elementary schools. So I grew up not having picked up any social baggage, no gangs, no crazy ex's. Just a few Asian mama spankings here and there with either a rainbow duster, plastic hangers or chopsticks...
Where does your song ideas come from and what is the process you go through to bring them to formation?
There are three ways I generally come up with song ideas. First would be if I heard a beat, mumble some jibberish and fill in the words. Second, if I can't stop whistling or humming a hooky melody under my breath I voice note it. Third, if I thought about a topic and wrote 2-4 bars that are juicy punchlines the rest of the song would usually bang. Then I'd bring these ideas to my producer, Matt Law. Then he vibes to it and does his magic, touch up lyrics and bam, that's the track. Most of the time I put myself in the space where my lyrics are headed in my head, almost like I'm daydreaming myself being in the position of the song I'm writing. Where would I be? What do I see? Smell? Hear? Feel? These can all be major BARS haha.
You mentioned you want to break out of the “Asian shell”. Do you feel that plays a strong role in the content you are releasing?
This heavily influences the content I'm releasing. I don't want to generalize but I feel a lot of my friends, whom are Asian, are often discouraged to follow their artistic paths being who they are. I aspire to become someone who can show other Asians and non-asians that there is a promise in pursuing art. I want to continue to release all sorts of different types of sounds going forward from pop, rap, EDM you name it. I just want to show that if I can achieve this, anyone can as well.
You seem like a fun, kind person, what does it mean to be able to bring your music to the masses and what are you hoping they feel from your music?
What it means to me is that they enjoy it and I sincerely hope that when they hear my music they understand that I'm just having fun with it all. I try to have my songs as visual as possible, from the lyrics to adlibs to any sound choices. I know those types of lyrics are the most powerful for me personally. I don't care to get all technical and clinical with what "music" should be. I just wanna be carefree and vibe!
What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming year?
I'm excited in releasing the songs I'm sitting on for everyone! Then start doing shows when my discography is a little bigger. I also just got out of film school so I'm looking forward in directing my own first music video. Right now, I can't wait to keep putting out music. I don't even care if a million people like it. As long as I can jam to it with a friend, that's what's fun to me. But hey, the more the merrier!
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